Letters
View(s):One man show: Key stakeholders out of 2015 Budget making
The recent seminars held to discuss the 2015 Budget highlighted one thing at least — top Inland Revenue Department (IRD) officials’ lack of familiarity with Budget pronouncements.
Logically the formulation of these policies should have had the involvement of these senior IRD officials. It appears that one of the basic tenets of “strategy formulation” — the involvement of key stakeholders — is not followed in policy making or preparing a budget.
The big “one page” advertisements which appear in the dailies acknowledging the contributions made by various persons, organisations and associations to the National Budget are a big “eye-wash”. What is the point in acknowledging contributions from the public if those who are expected to be involved are not engaged?
It was sad to see, and must have been extremely disheartening for senior IRD officials when they were not able to respond simple queries. It appears that the “financial planning” of the nation is in the hands of one man — the Treasury Secretary.
Anyone with some ability in public speaking can deliver an “ear pleasing” message in the absence of any questioning or challenging. It is time that the President and other senior Ministers recognised the dangers of such singular power and took steps to ensure that policies are formulated with the involvement of key stakeholders and officials. Decisions must be committee based. No single person must have unfettered powers. No wonder that our Public Service is on a very slippery slope.
Reggie David
Dehiwela
You should hear the cacophony that I put up with daily!
This letter has reference to the letter by ‘Pro Bono Publico’ in Soysapura published in the Sunday Times of November 16. If that is what irritates you dear friend, welcome to Siripala Road, Mount Lavinia, close to the rail tracks. Not only are we disturbed by the temples expressing their doctrine loud and clear, there are also many more players who make me think that it is a well constituted band playing to make us all deaf.
My day starts with the loud horn of the 5.10 a.m. early express train to Jaffna. It should be appropriately named ‘The early wake-up train’. If you did not wake up to the noise of this train, then by 6 a.m. the invasion of ‘tune paan’ three wheelers’( the mobile bread vans) will do the needful. Add to the misery is the barking of our dear street dog ‘John’ at one particular three wheeler due to a prior ‘fracas’ he had with the driver.
Then comes the rejuvenated old lady of yesteryear , the ‘Yaal Devi’ leaving Mount Lavinia at 6.30 a.m. with her ‘trumpet’ blowing the final ‘wake-up call’ to all and sundry. If that is not enough, the street cat ‘Kaluwa’ comes out meowing loud enough to get her share of the bites from the residents in the area.
The fun really begins with the road traffic. The motorbikes delivering newspapers, the fishmonger’s call to dish out the latest catch and the speeding cars. Then there are the constructions sites (three of them). All this with the noise of the sea waves in the background.
If the noise pollution is not enough, our lungs are filled with enough dust from the constructions sites choking us to death! Let’s hope for a better tomorrow.
Ranjith Samaranayake
Mount Lavinia by the railtrack
Via email
Give us a walking strip too: The people of Kesbewa
Pictured here is the beautiful Kesbewa natural lake that got a facelift three to four months ago after it was cleaned of rubbish and water plants to bring it back to its ancient glory.
Boralesgamuwa town has a beautiful walking strip around its newly man-made lake – thanks to the direction of Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
But we are sad to point out that the Kesbewa natural lake does not have a walking strip around it, although it has been promised down the years, by different politicians in power.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa is the man behind such beautification projects in and around Colombo and we request him to direct his officials to give the people of Kesbewa – a walking strip. Please do not allow this project to be confined to papers and files in govt. offices of Kesbewa.
Sumith Des
Polgasowita