Letters to the Editor
View(s):Please rectify fuel only on cash rule at IOC stations
Apart from the legality of such refusal to accept credit card payments, this is unfair by customers who spend hours and sometimes days to reach the pumps only to see a handwritten notice saying payments must be only in cash. Very often drivers are in the queue with their employers’ car and credit card to get the petrol. Sometimes the available petrol is exhausted waiting in the long queues and people then have the problem of not having enough petrol to drive away. Some get stranded blocking the queue.
People may not carry sufficient cash (especially these days) as most transactions are carried out on credit cards. In fact, in most developed societies use of cash is extremely rare.
Depriving customers in this manner is highly unethical.
In these circumstances, I earnestly request the Management of IOC to rectify this matter and protect the good name of IOC.
Ananda Samarasinghe Via email
Gotabaya coming home:Let us forgive, but not forget
Some TV channels carried the news item that former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was coming back to Sri Lanka. I wonder how our nation will react to this. Did it ever occur to us that our past President flying from country to country like a fugitive from justice is the worst disgrace that could happen to our nation?
In the first place, he did not have to flee the country. Is it that our armed forces failed to protect their Commander-in-Chief from an unruly mob of protesters? How does this reflect on their pride?
It is accepted that “Gota” committed a number of mistakes affecting our economy. He was neither a politician nor an economist. He was a soldier turned into a leader, elected by the people, who had to depend on advisors who unfortunately misled him.
The problem is, we as a nation have been living beyond our means, spending three times more than what we have been earning, thus getting into a huge debt trap. I am turning 80 next year and mind you we did not have a TV or a phone or even a calculator in our home until the late ’70s when J.R. Jayewardene brought in the open economy. How many mobile phones and vehicles are there in a household now? Are we not paying for these?
There are lessons to be learnt from what we are experiencing now. Let us work hard now foregoing all these holidays and carnivals. We need financial discipline both at family and national levels. We need to a brand new constitution. We need to have minimum qualifications for those governing us in the fields of Economics, Political Science, Law and Management from a University at least. This should be mandatory for the office of the President, Prime Minister and Cabinet Minister.
Lastly, let us give the former President a decent retirement and safety in the twilight of his years, not forgetting our own weaknesses and faults. Let us forgive, but not forget. Let us value and be proud of the “positives” of our country.
A senior citizen Via email
Why not plant a million trees per district
If a programme is begun to plant a million jak/breadfruit trees in every district, 25 million trees will be planted in the 25 districts. In the years to come, with climate change looming, there will be plenty of food for the people. Sri Lanka can become self sufficient in food and fight poverty for the benefit of future generations.
Pakistan has recently begun a programme to plant 540 million trees to provide shade and food for the people.
Why don’t our authorities here do the same and make this country more beautiful and a better place to live in.
Anton Jacob Colombo 7
Irony of ironies
Apropos Namini Wijedasa’s expose “Blood is thicker than justice” in the Sunday Times of August 14, it is patently clear that the Rajapaksa government had gone to extraordinary lengths to protect/preserve ex-Ambassador to the US, Jaliya Wickremesooria’s diplomatic immunity, despite the fact that he had very clearly misappropriated state funds.
It is the height of irony that it was the US government that charged him in a court of law and not our government – after all it was our State funds that were misused!!
“Quis Custodiet Ipso Custodes”!
A.J. Pereira Via email
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