“Sick man of Asia’ tag if SL continues to follow outdated technology
View(s):Sri Lanka’s insistence in following outdated ideology is fast making it the ‘sick man’ of Asia, a top Minister has said.
Addressing the 5th International Conference on Multi- Disciplinary Approaches -2018 jointly organized by the Ministry of Science & Technology and the University of Jayawardhanapura, and held recently at the southern Tangerine Beach Hotel, Minister of Science, Technology, Research, Skills Development, & Vocational Training and Kandyan Heritage Dr. Sarath Amunugama asked: “Is it the business of the state to do business?’
In comments released to the media by his media team, the Minister pointed out that even the British Labour Party had to amend the famous Clause IV of its Constitution relating to social ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange before it could again become electable to power, in recent times. The Minister said that Sri Lanka has to move with the changed world if it is to progress.
Minister Amunugama said that there is a widely-held misconception that policy making in government is not informed by research. The Minister pointed out that for instance as far as economic policy making is concerned there is a continuous dialogue between the Central Bank and the Finance Ministry. The minister cited many eminent Central Bankers starting with the late Dr. Gamini Corea who had held key positions in government’s economic policy making. The Minister also said that the government also benefits from the expertise of the many international organisations like the IMF, the World Bank and the ADB of which Sri Lanka is a member.
He referred to the ongoing rapid change in technology and stressed the need for Sri Lanka to keep abreast of that continuing development. In regard to this aspect the Minister expressed his hope in the younger generation.