Stability, more civil society engagement, Right to Information Act among priorities for new Government
Three eminent members of Sri Lankan society on Saturday said there were some immediate priorities that need to be addressed by the new Maithripala Sirisena regime.
The priorities of the new government should be — Stability, governance, consistent policies and ease of doing business for the business community; Smooth transition of power will pave the way for a decent future, more private sector involvement in the public space and a greater trickle-down effect to the village from the fruits of development; Responsibility of civil society leaders to hold the leaders accountable for their actions (and in-actions), greater role for civil society in the development of the country, more social development, implementation of the Right to Information Act.
These thoughts came across from Rev. Prof. W. Wimalaratana Thero, Head of the Department of Economics and the University of Colombo, Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, General Secretary of the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement and Suresh Shah, Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce during a unique discussion on the future of Sri Lanka in the post-election period. The discussion was held through Skype –video/voice – from four locations in Colombo. While the three panelists representing academia, civil society and business, spoke from a monastery and homes, the team of Business Times reporters conducted the discussion from the auditorium of the Wijeya Newspapers/Sunday Times office.
