Promises… promises
View(s):“Aiyo …egollo apahu eka karanava (They are doing it again),” exclaimed Mabel Rasthiyadu.
“Monawa (What)?” asked Kussi Amma Sera, seated with the other two under the margosa tree. “Aei porondu denawa (Why… making promises),” replied Mabel Rasthiyadu.
“Nomile pohora, govinta sahana saha badu adu kirima (Free fertiliser, relief for farmers and reduced taxes),” interjected Serapina with loud laughter.
“Me porondu walin minissunge adahas venas wei-da (Will people be swayed by these promises)?” asked Kussi Amma Sera.
I was also reflecting on this comment whether “people will be swayed by these promises” when the phone rang. It was ‘Koththamalli’ Fernando, the Kokatath Thailaya (oil for any ailment) expert who has a remedy for any issue.
“I say … the candidates are at it again,” he said, laughing. “What do you mean?” I asked after welcoming his call, not having spoken to him for a long time.
“Why…. making promises,” he replied, adding: “I wonder whether the electorate will be gullible this time too.”
“Well … making promises is part of the weaponry of any politician. Without that they have nothing else to say. The worst kept promise is that of the President,” I said.
“What was that promise?” asked ‘Koththamalli’.
“He promised to return to his hometown (Polonnaruwa) on the completion of his term of office. But now he has been given his luxurious residence in Colombo to reside after his term is over,” I said.
“The ‘I will’ (making promises) syndrome has returned!” he said.
We discussed at length the ‘promises syndrome’ of candidates always prefaced by “I will do this … I will do that” and what it would cost the country if these promises are kept, not forgetting how much debt the country will be put into if all these costly promises are fulfilled.
On the question of debt, the government says that while it has reached the surplus budgets (tax revenue sufficient to meet expenditure) stage, the problem is that the debt accumulated by the previous regime which has to be paid back eats into revenue. Revenue is sufficient to meet only interest payments on debt, while borrowings are required not only to pay off capital payments but also for recurrent and capital expenditure.
Let’s take a look at some of the ‘I will’ promises made by candidates:
- I will encourage more exports.
- I will give free fertiliser. (The Sunday Times in a report said this would cost Rs. 3.5 billion annually).
- I will introduce a women’s charter to strengthen their rights.
- I will do away with loans owed by farmers.
- I will provide a guaranteed price for paddy to farmers.
- I will pay compensation to farmers affected by floods and droughts.
- I will enhance the Samurdhi benefits.
- I will provide more drinking water facilities in the Anuradhapura district which has been affected by kidney disease.
By the way (BTW), below are two interesting comments on a news website which reported that the Cabinet had approved a proposal for the President to stay in his Colombo residence after his term of office ends after the November 16 Presidential Election.
Mr. A: “What a glaring contrast? Lech Walesa, the Polish President went back to his job in the industrial sector after stepping down from the presidency. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took a bus ride to his regular job with a lunch packet after he lost the presidency. British Prime Minister David Cameron went shopping in casual dress after he resigned. They were not a burden to the public.”
Mr. B: “Difficult to believe that this is the same person who said he will go back to Polonnaruwa and till paddy fields after his tenure ends. Confirms my belief that Sri Lankan politicians should never be trusted.”
Are Sri Lankans still fooled by the promises made by politicians? It appears that they are…. clinging onto straws that these are honest promises made by honest politicians.
Another interesting development on Wednesday was where Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera had told a media conference that the Carbon Tax would be abolished as a proposal to this effect would be presented to Parliament on October 23. This tax on vehicles was imposed from January this year. Samaraweera said that the removal of this tax is based on a promise made by ruling party presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa.
While discussing this proposal with ‘Koththamalli’, he asked: “Isn’t this unfair and also a violation of some election law?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well … since Premadasa is from the government they might start implementing some promises even before he is elected. On the other hand doesn’t it give an unfair advantage to Premadasa over his opponents and thus constitute an election offence … using state resources?” he said.
“You have a point,” I replied.
Making promises has become part and parcel of the game of politics particularly during elections. The most famous of election promises was in the 1960s when there was a promise to even bring rice from the moon!
Most of the promises rolled out by politicians (more than what was discussed earlier) which particularly required large sums of money are unrealistic and come at a huge cost. Subsidies, as promised by the main candidates, come at a phenomenal cost which the country cannot afford.
The never-ending cycle of debt is what the citizens of this country have to pay eventually through higher taxes and local and foreign borrowings.
A simple example is that while farmers benefit from subsidies for fertiliser, they pay extra taxes on the household goods (food, perishables) that they consume. So the benefit from subsidies is nullified by the higher cost that they have to pay for their goods.
According to the Budget 2019, total revenue and grants were Rs. 2,464 billion while total expenditure was Rs. 3,149 billion with the deficit being Rs. 685 billion. Borrowings are estimated to amount to Rs. 2,079 billion.
“Mahattaya monawada karanne (Sir what are you doing)?” asked Kussi Amma Sera, as she brought a second cup of tea for me. “Porondu denawa… porondu denawa..,” I laughed, realising that sometimes we journalists are also building castles in the air and making promises through our writings about paving the way for a better future for our people.