Financial Times

Sri Lanka 2020: The bold and the beautiful
By Random Access Memory (RAM)
Imagine a similar Sunday dawning in 2020. Mr. Perera is on a video conference call to a friend in the Eastern Canton to discuss a project idea on setting up an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) power plant in Trincomalee. He impresses upon his friend that it is a viable option given that the world market price for oil has gone up three-fold, with the OPEC under the chairmanship of Iraq playing hard to get.

His friend will have to ensure that there is a strong case made with the proposal and a good rationale indicating the clean aspects of energy creation presented through the environmental impact assessment. Setting up the plant on land taking advantage of the proximity of the ocean canyon only a few kilometres away, will be their best option. The Marine Park Leisure Resort, whale watching and vistas of the coves must have minimal negative impact from the operation. Mr. Perera refers him to what science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke said about this possibility way back in the nineteen seventies.

The morning newscaster on the state of the art reading glass TV monitor of mine appears on my voice command. He stares me in the eye when he analyses the discussions between the newly elected leaders of the Northern and the Southern Canton Territorial Assemblies to make better use of the North-South toll way.

The need now, he says is to think beyond the three-hour highway drive from Matara to Jaffna and consider cutting travelling time by half with the introduction of a bullet train. He also proposes the need to bring in the Vanni Canton into the discussion to extend the service to India via the new land bridge at Tallaimannar. "The fast ferry services have now exhausted its potential and more efficient alternatives need be explored," he says. This way we can make the most of the linkage we now have to the world's second largest consumer base in India.

An upmarket family of Chinese tourists are about to leave their boutique hotel, now the best address in Colombo, the Old Dutch Hospital building. It is serving the best of the best clients where the Chinese hobnob the English over breakfast and tiffin served on the lush garden by brass-buttoned butlers.

The group is to have lunch inside the Galle Fort and visit the Dungeons Museum depicting the Dutch heritage of old Ceylon. On their return from the Fort they will observe the magnificent view of the Fort from the restored Galle Esplanade.

Their guide would explain how the cricket ground that blocked the grand vista of this world heritage site was relocated at a new site near Koggala; with test cricket matches played by the lakeside. He will put his Mandarin language skills to a full test explaining the game of cricket to the Chinese.

The International Airport at Hambantota is busy preparing for the landing of the 550 seater Airbus arriving from London at 8.30 a.m. Several businessmen are getting up from the sleeperettes on the aircraft to get themselves ready for the meetings at the site of the new harbour now being built.

The view of the bustling new city surrounding the airport impresses them immensely.
The after-business round of golf and the Ayurvedic massage treatment the next day at the new wellness resort, tops the mind of several of them. "How wonderful it is to do business in Sri Lanka.

The rot is all over and the cost of doing business has come down so much. No more oiling of palms is necessary", one of them is heard to comment. In each of the Canton capitals starting 8 a.m. tomorrow, the Territorial Assemblies are expected to meet to elect their representatives to the National Assembly and the Consultative Assembly. They have for several months now sounded their nominations with the Divisional Councils and the People's Councils.

The Territorial Assemblies consist of representatives elected based on the principle of subsidiary power to the people through the constituency of the smallest unit at the village or ward level. Those who get elected to the National Assembly get there through a well-sieved process.

The Supreme Council consisting of the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Chairpersons of the of the Finance and Planning Commission and the National Harmony Commission are elected through a vote from among the members of the National and Consultative Assemblies. Having got it right at the last five elections, the people and their representatives are all geared to getting the best to lead the country on this round too.

Without party-based divisive politics, this system has produced good leaders and all agree that it needs to stay that way. A retired elder statesman sits with his grandson at the back garden patio of his house and is heard to say, "Putha, today our model from the chocolate country is working really well for us and I am so happy that we are able to return our paradise for you to live in peace and harmony." On the wall mounted Digital TV screen a trailer appears promoting the 253rd episode of Sri Lanka's trilingual version of "The Bold and the Beautiful".

Back to Business