Letters to the Editor
View(s):If we go on like this economic recovery in 2048 will only be a pipe dream
There is no hiding the fact that for a majority of citizens, let alone living, surviving to live has become a Herculean task indeed. With the increase in VAT – 15% to 18% – even on the exempted items, it will be much gloomier, come 2024.
Making a bad situation worse is the attitude and conduct of most ministers and
Government parliamentarians who live in a world of their own and firmly believe that their political rhetoric spelled out at every given opportunity within and outside Parliament would be of some solace to the suffering masses and ensure future votes!
It also appears that President Wickremesinghe is testing the waters for a possible
early election next year with a dangling carrot by way of a Rs.10,000 pay increase
from April 2024! However, he has badly disappointed the majority, who were expecting more and that too sooner.
Worse still, the president, ministers, and all parliamentarians at a time when the country has gone bankrupt, enjoy an array of utterly wasteful perks and privileges – funded through the poor tax payer- knowing very well that the need of the hour is austerity – mostly spoken but hardly practised when a sizeable percentage of the population is struggling to put food on the table.
In fact, it is estimated that a staggering 33% of families are facing food insecurity and sadly, the percentage of malnourished children too is on the rise.
Worst of all, a majority of our legislators cannot be considered by any stretch of the imagination as worthy representatives of the people, as supposedly selfless politicians during elections become selfish and avaricious no sooner they return to power!
Leave aside solving citizens’ problems, they are more often than not, the creators! That said, going by recent media reports, it is often revealed how earning hefty commissions – a dressy word for bribery, even during the present crucial economic times of the country, has become a norm, therefore a definite thorn in the expected economic recovery, to say the least.
Instead of austerity measures we only hear and read on the colossal wastage of public funds, rank mismanagement, rampant bribery and corruption all of which have engulfed the entire state machinery from top to bottom of nearly all public institutions.
In this background, one wonders whether the envisaged economic recovery even in 2048, could only be an elusive dream?
M.R. Pathirage Kolonnawa
A workable programme rather than the 13th Amendment, a way forward
Both the Sinhala and Tamil political parties are engaged in debate over the practical implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution from time to time resulting in communal tension among the Sinhala and Tamil communities, enabling them to preserve their vote bank in the north and south in the event of elections.
However, the attention of major political parties should be devoted to the implementation of a planned programme of work targeting the economy, social problems faced by the people in the northern and eastern regions in addition to the particular problems faced by them as regards ownership of lands and forced disappearance of their relatives in the 30-year war.
Further it should be noted that the agitation for a political solution among the minority political parties began as a result of implementing the Sinhala Only policy in the administration of the country. Hence it is the responsibility of the government to work towards implementing the use of Tamil in the general administration through the police stations, courts and divisional secretaries in the Northern and Eastern provinces.
Also the major political parties with the support of minority parties should organise the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim youth members in each electorate through seminars and other activities to enhance their knowledge of the respective languages, religion and culture. This will enable them to understand each other and pave the way for trust and respect among all communities in the long term.
K.S. Ekanayake Pannipitiya
Touched by the kindness and courtesy at a Police Station
Of all the state institutions, the last place where people find politeness is the police station. This is the general perception.
Law-abiding and well- mannered people are very averse to stepping into a Police station as they are not at ease with Police behaviour. But how wrong this perception is.
The Kompannaveediya Police Station stands out as a shining example of politeness and good public relations.
I went there recently to complain about the theft of an item that was my bread and butter. I am a daily wage earner and the loss was unbearable. I was overwhelmed by the kindness and politeness the Police officers at the Crime branch, including the OIC, showed me. They kept on consoling me and assured me that they would do everything possible to recover the item. This they did within days.
But what brought more joy to me than getting my lost item back was the efficiency and the politeness of the Kompannaveediya Police officers.
Hats off to these committed Police officers who prove that Police officers are the true servants of the people.
S.I.M. Imthiaz Colombo
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