Financial Times

Sun must shine on everyone to regain Sri Lanka

.By Random Access Memory (RAM)
We see sunshine streaming from our skies through dark clouds in some areas after the heavy rains and the devastating floods. This can indeed be a morale booster for some. The various Regaining Sri Lanka Committees are at work putting the finishing touches for presentation at the June parley. Agriculture and fisheries, tourism and several other key areas of the economy are supposedly covered within a zonal development framework. Already investment zones are said to be laying the basic groundwork to prepare for action when funding commitments turn out to be a reality on the ground. The key challenges are to generate investments and jobs. To make it happen on the fast track is a dire need, for wasted time could bring politically disastrous consequences.

A national referral system for job placement on merit basis without the usual political hidden hand to dole them out is now in place. A rejuvenated 'Tharuna Aruna' has received World Bank assistance to urgently deal with the question of graduate unemployment. At least a good 10,000 of them must be trained and placed in jobs within the year. Then there is the question of generating jobs and self-employment opportunities for nearly two million more of the unemployed. The beam is turned on the private sector to make it happen. When the state fails to deliver, social responsibility must squarely be placed on the 'engine of growth', could well be the thinking. The UN Secretary General's call is exactly that to the private sector with the Global Compact initiative. The ball now is on the private sector court to be socially responsible.

In Tokyo in June, heavy emphasis will be placed on rebuilding the North and East. The donors will naturally expect larger than life white flags to come out of the Wanni camps of the LTTE. The talk is that the organisers will do with or without them. But the reality on the ground suggests that one hand cannot clap. Even if it tried slapping at other objects, what is heard may not be loud enough.

The will certainly is there, but the way is thorny. The political big wigs have once again proven that they are experts at tug-of-wars. They have beaten us commoners in our Sinhala and Tamil New Year festivity related 'kamba addhily' putting even master strategists of yore such as Nicollo Machiavelli and Sun Tzu to shame.

The takeover bid of the Lotteries outfit and the prevention of printing of the gazette notification by the government printer were both 'master' moves. While they would be excellent wartime strategies, what we need during these times of peace seeking, certainly are strategies of building unity through mutual understanding, cohabitation and co-existence. All involved should let sanity prevail on that front.

Talking of sunshine, we believe that in addition to all of this, there is a vital missing link in the efforts at Regaining Sri Lanka. That missing link is that those for whom Sri Lanka is to be regained know little or nothing about what is to be regained, by whom and for whom.

We have been told that donors are to give massive amounts in dollars, yen and euros for us to regain ourselves and we should wait patiently till this is achieved. What we indeed need to know is where and how these funds will be spent to regain our lost dignity and how our 'leaders' will ensure complete transparency in the disbursement of these funds. After all we were told that each of us is currently in debt to the tune of over Rs. 70,000. How do we ensure that we invest wisely? How can we ensure that we do not leave our children and their children to repay these debts? What rate of return do we expect from the funds to make them worthy investments?

In seeking answers we need to ensure that the sun shines for us all in Sri Lanka, no matter who, no matter where. We need to know.

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