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| Sunday, 24 October 2004 |
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Editorial |  |
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Editor, Sunday Observer. E-mail: [email protected] Snail mail : Sunday Observer, 35, D.R.Wijewardana Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Telephone : 94 11 2429239 / 2331181 Fax : 94 11 2429230 Wanted an alternative policy The cost of living is soaring in consequence of the unprecedented steep rise in crude oil prices in the world market. Forecasts are that crude oil may go up to $60 per barrel by December. There is nothing much the government could do to curtail this price hike given the vulnerability of Sri Lanka as a non-oil producing poor country. Yet provision of a safety net to at least those who live below the poverty line is an imperative need. In real terms the percentage of such people approximates 50 percent of the population. But subsidies are only a temporary measure. Ultimately the problem of poverty could be solved only by expanding production and increasing productivity. In the meantime, the present system of across-the -board subsidies could be restructured so that only the deserving benefit. If such a revision is made on rational and not political grounds the quantum of subsidies to the needy could be increased to meet the rising CoL. Raising the productivity of labour involves the application of higher technology both in industry and in agriculture. Technology should suit our conditions. The government should increase allocations for Research and Development (R&D) in the forthcoming budget and our scientists and technologists should be encouraged to innovate and develop technology. It is time that we depend less on foreign expertise and harness more indigenous expertise that is not rare. Unfortunately local experts have been compelled to emigrate seeking greener pastures in view of hazardous working conditions here. Needless to say, all these require a cheaper and cleaner government. There is much wastage in government - too many tamashas, unnecessary reliance on foreign expertise, political cronyism, unproductive use of human resources, ostentation of Ministers and higher bureaucrats, too many foreign trips to name a few. We also have a jumbo cabinet and its fertility rate is still high so that we could expect it to be bigger in the future. Though the Provincial Councils (PCs) were established to devolve power and make governance cheaper and closer to the people the Centre is greedily clinging on to power in many areas of governance. It is claimed that the PCs do not have power even to appoint a peon. With hardly any legislative action by the PCs the only result has been duplication of action and expenses. Transparency International in a survey just published has rated our Corruption Index at 3.5 in a scale of 1 to 10, in an ascending order of corruption. Political interference, official indifference, public apathy and judicial and legal flows have virtually crippled the anti-corruption drive. What is needed is an alternative policy that is pro-poor, development oriented and independent. The much promised human face of liberal economic strategies have so far only aggravated poverty and income disparities rather than alleviating poverty and narrowing the gap between the haves and have-nots. It is necessary to harness the entrepreneur skills of our people and assure their participation in development. The Top-Down approach in policy formulation should be reversed to make it Bottom-Up. Whatever development envisaged or achieved would be brought to naught if no negotiated solution could be found for the National Question. Hence, speedy resumption of talks and search for a solution within a united Sri Lanka has become pre-requisite No. One for real development. End the blockade For 45 years the mighty United States is maintaining an economic, commercial and financial embargo against the small island nation of Cuba. Not only has it embargoed all trade with Cuba, it has also imposed fines and penalties on other countries and nationals who trade with Cuba. Even medicines and life saving drugs are under the embargo. According to the Geneva Convention of December 9, 1948 this amounts to genocide. The United States has been continually intensifying the blockade. The Torricelli Act, which came into force in 1992, prevents Cuba's trade with subsidiaries of US companies in third countries and blacklists third country vessels calling at Cuban ports. The Helms-Burton Act of 1996 goes further. It attempts to internationalize the blockade by coercing other countries to join it. It imposes penalties and fines on third country firms and nationals that deal with Cuba. This infringes on the sovereignty of nations. President Bush tightened the blockade further. For example, in 2003 US authorities used five times more agents to chase after and investigate blockade violations than it had to track down Al-Queda funding. Last May Bush announced new measures that intensified the blockade and increased funding to topple the Cuban regime. Even direct invasion and war were not ruled out. The United Nations General Assembly is scheduled to debate a resolution to be presented by Cuba on the necessity of ending the blockade. We hope it would receive overwhelming support of the international community. The same resolution when originally introduced in 1992 received 59 votes. By 1994 the number of countries supporting it exceeded 100. Last year it received 179 votes in favour. Yet the United States continues to ignore world opinion. We call upon it to respect world opinion and end this criminal blockade. |
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