Financial Times

Should citizens laugh or cry?
A young CEO, recognized for professional capability and commitment towards the development of the nation and its people was recently heard saying how he was positively motivated and moved to tears of hope for this nation’s forward march for the second time on hearing the acceptance speech of the President a few months ago.

The first time he recollected was when he heard the private sector Vision 2020, a leading chamber’s dream, a vision the Chamber movement and the leaders of the nation failed to pursue with commitment.

The young CEO had been disillusioned quickly thereafter, when a senior official of a ministry had advised his minister against attending a function at a public venue to welcome a CEO of a Fortune 10 business entity that had invested $1.4 billion in India and was likely to support Sri Lanka’s under privileged with a significant CSR spend.

The rationale for this advice was the failure on the part of the foreign CEO in not paying a courtesy call on the minister at his office, in a manner similar to what he had done in calling on the President of the nation.

Ego driven advice of officials misguides ministers in making wrong judgments that in the end negatively impact on the citizens and the nation.
It was recently reported that a foreign member of a select fraternity, a specialist in generating higher economic value for nations had wanted to offer his assistance and support a member of the same fraternity who had recently been elevated to a high office of advice to a leader in Sri Lanka.

However, upon reading media reports of how the latter had defended a controversial policy now under implementation, justifying same in the name of economic theory, the former had decided against expending his valuable resources to offer advise to those now in ivory towers in Sri Lanka.
The demand for salary and benefit adjustments by different categories of employees in the national health sector has begun, where the merry go round is always on the move, with the salary and benefit adjustments of one category causing an anomaly in another.

It appears that the trade unions want the remuneration multiple amongst different grades to be maintained at previous levels, little realizing that the remunerations whilst providing a living wage to each category must be more reflective of the relative value of the service rendered by each of the categories from the perspective of the beneficiaries of the services.
The peace talks have begun after many months.

Public confidence was raised with optimism in business circles and amongst the people of the nation. The news reports following the talks however raise some doubts now. There were several indicators during and after the meeting reflecting that both sides have attempted ego trips giving prominence to issues that are irrelevant or not promoting consensus building in early stages in order to reach a positive final outcome.

It is clear that in some instances the pursuit of personal glory, party and alliance agendas and justifications of previous positions have taken precedence over the immediate need to get the process started effectively.

Does it really matter whether an agreement was amended or not, if in the end the talks lead to a higher quality of enforcement of the CFA? What followed is a shame on leaders and a betrayal of the hopes for peace of the citizens.
Leaders should according to the accepted best art of management use small wins to motivate themselves and resolve to move forward with further commitment towards the set goal and never to gloat over or crow from roof tops with V sign boards.

There was much enthusiastic commitment to protect the environment in the speech of acceptance. In the name of development why then are the prime forest environments in Ratnapura being destroyed, when it hosts unique species of insects and plants?

When transparency and good governance was the promise in the acceptance speech, why isn’t the auditor general yet a target of attack by ministry secretaries on account of his reports spotlighting systemic failures in control environment and why doesn’t media expose signal harassment of journalists and media bosses?

When democracy, equity and equal opportunity of all citizens irrespective of race and religion was the commitment then why is yet the northern and eastern citizens denied proper access to infrastructure, and tsunami victims and victims of conflict yet not getting their due share of the cake?

Why isn’t the provisions of the 17th amendment to the constitution not implemented, voters’ lists not effectively updated before local government elections and the Constitutional Council regularized?

As hopes fade away the citizens are left with the option of crying or laughing, looking at the same old circus roll by. (The writer could be reached at - wo_owl@yahoo.co.uk).

Back to Business