Call for biz to back social discourse
Business leaders this week slammed Sri Lankan politicians for the crisis facing the country, urged support to new social movements and observed that national interest must override political agendas.
Panellists at the discussion: (From left) – Lahiru Pathmalal, Sujeeva Samaraweera and Ramal Jasinghe. Pic by Priyantha Wickramarachchi
Adding a voice to the plethora of concern by business chambers was an organisation representing Katunayake Free Trade Zone investors which called the recent incidents in Parliament “debilitating and shameful and has implications for most of the future order books of FTZ companies as well as the potential of losing GSP+ for exports to the EU.”
“We are extremely disturbed and disappointed with the behaviour of all political parties concerned in not reaching a consensus to this political flux. It is important and urgent that all political leaders at loggerheads put the country first rather than their personal agendas,” said the Free Trade Zone Manufacturers’ Association (FTZMA) Executive Committee in a statement.
In a related development, Colombo-based chambers of commerce and industry were due to meet President Maithripala Sirisena tomorrow at 5 pm to express their concern and alarm over the crisis and urge an early, constitutional end to it.
Perhaps the biggest warning of a crisis that affects all sectors of the economy came on Wednesday from the heads of two chambers who said it was time the business community – in the national interest – lent its support to social movements to ensue in a new social order or risk facing the country going downhill.
“As citizens of this country we are part of this whole mess. Socially we have a responsibility at these turbulent times,” asserted National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka President, Sujeewa Samaraweera, speaking at a discussion titled “Managing a business during turbulent times” organized by the Sunday Times Business Club and held at the Kingsbury Colombo, the club’s host hotel.
“As business entrepreneurs we need to take the message across to the villagers who are vulnerable. Poverty is how politicians exploit the situation which needs to be stopped. We should not allow power to exploit people,” he said.
National Chamber of Exporters President, Ramal Jasinghe said the power of the people plays a major role in the current situation. “Right now people have had a shock treatment. The only hope is to have the elections sooner than later for the agony of the people to end,” he said adding that they won’t be able to run businesses smoothly if there is no end to this crisis.
Takas.lk CEO Lahiru Pathmalal, the third panelist at the discussion, was also supportive of social movements that demand change, saying: “We don’t want the people who brought this country into such a disaster to find solutions for us.”
All three panellists reflected on the impact of the crisis on business saying the depreciation of the rupee has also worsened the situation.