Financial Times

Coordinated action needed
Criticism is growing about the ineffectiveness of the relief effort, the lack of focus and of coordination that is preventing or delaying relief from reaching those most in need of it after the tsunami disaster. Much of the criticism comes from the private sector which has complained of lethargy or indifference or simply lack of skills on the part of the government and its bureaucracy.

When a disaster of this magnitude hits a small country like Sri Lanka it is inevitable that problems crop up in the relief and recovery effort.

First of all it takes some time for people to recover from the initial shock itself, even those outside the immediately affected areas. Then there are problems of accessibility of the roads, bridges and railway lines washed away by the tsunami. Many of those in the affected areas who may normally have been in a position helped in the relief effort, such as government officials and community leaders, were themselves affected by the disaster either losing their own lives, relatives or their homes. This too would have hampered the relief work.

Even in developed countries faced with unprecedented crises of such magnitude there have been delays in the relief and recovery effort.

This was the case even in the mighty United States after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, as was pointed out by Jayantha Dhanapala, head of the peace secretariat. He told a news conference last week that he was in New York that terrible day and had seen how, even in a country as advanced as the US the relief effort was hampered by chaos, confusion and lack of preparedness.

Sri Lanka and its people have displayed remarkable resilience over the past 20 years. We have survived two vicious insurgencies, which at one time were running parallel to each other - a rare feat for any country but more so for one as small and under-developed as ours. The economy has withstood some terrific shocks but has managed to bounce back with remarkable agility. It is this experience that has probably helped us withstand the impact of this latest natural disaster - one of such unprecedented ferocity and magnitude, that in a few hours resulted in loss of life and destruction of property that was almost equivalent to that caused by 20 years of war.

The most effective way to move forward in the relief and recovery effort is for the private sector to work in close co-ordination with the government. This is why the government has appointed key corporate figures to a number of organisations it created to oversee the immediate relief work and long-term reconstruction programme.

Government leaders have recognised that the state machinery alone cannot carry out the enormous task involved on its own and took action to make use of the management skills and resources of the private sector. The tycoons appointed to government task forces have a proven track record in running some of this country's top companies.

Criticism about the slowness of the relief and recovery work is not confined to the government but includes the private sector as well. The business community too has experienced the same lack of focus, co-ordination and ineffectiveness of government in ensuring that aid gets to the needy.

It is well known that there are rivalries among the many business chambers that exist in this country and these rivalries have been exposed in the relief effort with different chambers vying with each other for publicity. It is time for such rivalry and sniping to stop and for more concerted and coordinated corporate action.

Back to Business