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| Sunday, 14 September 2003 |
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Letters |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Please forward your letters to [email protected] in plain text format within the e-mail message, since as a policy we do not open any attachments.
At the festive High Mass at Madhu in the morning of 15th August, the Bishop of Jaffna, His Lordship Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Savundranayagam made reference in his homily to the new menace that has besieged the northern area since the opening of the A-9 passage, though many good things have happened by the opening. His reference was to the consumer craze of the people of the North that is almost destroying the health, wealth and the social and spiritual values of the people. He condemned the situation in unmistakable terms and exhorted the people present to refrain from falling prey to this social destruction. All sorts of goods and materials, including pornographic literature and materials and such other items, have flooded the markets and streets of the North and the people are going for these items as if these are the very essential things they have been waiting for all these 20 years of the war. The Bishop's condemnation of this consumer craze does not apply only to the people of the North. It applies equally to all the people in all the parts of the country. Today, people are spending their hard earned money, earned and sent by their kith and kin working in foreign countries in most cases doing menial work, in buying unnecessary items of goods just to have their ego satisfied, and others who cannot afford to buy these things getting into debt and buying them just to keep up with their neighbours who are buying them. Of course, if people do not buy these things in such a spree businessmen cannot make more money and also the labour market will be affected to some extent. But should that be allowed to bring about a degeneration of the people and the outflow of the country's wealth? Arul, Colombo 13. A few days ago, the OGA of Visakha Vidyalaya organised a dinner theatre as a fund raiser for their varied projects. I was not present but I was told that when the names of the past principals of the school were read out, that of Mrs. Clara Motwani (one of Visakha's most famous principals) was inadvertently left out. A correction and an apology was made in the middle of the function, however, many of Mrs. Motani's old pupils present were rather upset. I am one of the old girls of the Motwani era and I would like to place on record that if not for Mrs. Motwani there would have been no Visakha for anyone to run. I will give a brief explanation as to why I say this. Mrs. Motwani was visiting the island in 1933 with her husband. She was only 23-years-old and had no intention of settling down here. Sir Baron Jayatilleka persuaded her to take over as the Principal of Visakha. He was the Manager of the school and was therefore very concerned with the future of the school. The sad fact was that due to very poor performance at public exams, Visakha was on the verge of losing departmental recognition. We were still part of the British Empire and all the big schools sat for the London matriculation exam. Within one year Mrs. Motwani changed the status quo of Visakha Vidyalaya. All holidays were cancelled. Teachers and pupils willingly worked through the holidays. That very first year almost every student passed the London Matriculation and the second year distinctions and honours made their appearance. Sir Andrew Caldecott, the Governor of Ceylon attended a Visakha prize giving and praised the work of our principal from America (as he put it). I was personally tutored in French by Mrs. Motwani herself and managed the syllabus in just under a year thanks to her. She was both an inspired teacher and administrator. Visakha has rightly named a house after her. I hope the present day Visakhians never forget that Mrs. Motwani, an American from Kentucky, was responsible for literally saving the school. She brought in Mrs. Pulimood as vice principal over the strong protests of parents and students who did not want an Indian and a Christian to be vice principal of a Buddhist school. Unconcerned with the outcry, Mrs. Motwani pushed through the appointment and insisted on it being ratified. Her vision gave Visakha another great Principal in Mrs. Pulimood for when Mrs. Motwani retired, Mrs. Pulimood succeeded her. Bona de Lanerolle, Nugegoda. Telecom revises tariffs - a response I refer to the article on the above subject in the Sunday Observer August 3. This article is typical of the hypocrisy of business organisations today. When the proposed tariff is examined in comparison with the existing one, it is revealed that the new tariff, far from benefiting, it is intended to take in more finance from the middle and lower class users, who utilise the telephone service frugally, for essential purposes. To prove the above I give below the charges I had to pay (excluding international calls) from last 3 months. March 03 103 units Rs. 377 (including rental of Rs. 240) April 03 98 units Rs. 369.38 ( --- do ----) June 03 92 units Rs. 361 ( --- do ----). I did not receive the May bill. With the proposed tariff, I would have to pay Rs. 495 (rental) even If I do not take a single local call - that is about Rs. 125 to Rs. 140 more. I know many neighbours, who use their telephone service even more sparingly than me. So they too would have to pay more in future. Where is the benefit to their consumers? It will be a benefit to telecom which is already making a colossal profit. The increased rental of Rs. 495 the free 200 units is of no benefit to the frugal user of this service. The proposed change is to benefit only the affluent. K. Gunawardene, Mount Lavinia Telecom tariff revision - a response With reference to the letter by deprived customer in the Sunday Observer of August 17, I would like to say that in many areas of the Galle district covering Bentota, Balapitiya and Ambalangoda the cross arms of the telephone wire posts to which the wires are fixed to hold wires in position are decayed and broken or are sometimes hanging down together with the wires lower down the post or on the ground; entangled with the local "Wathupalu" weed creeper with the risk of grazing cattle trampling and breaking the wires thus enticing undesirable people to steal the unattended and unprotected property. So much so that we are getting used to saying "this is the state of affairs all over; be it the Railway, Electrical or Telecom". Thus the subscribers are penalized due to frequent breakdowns in the line. The complaint is attended to after a delay of a day or two or more. When there are two or three breakdowns for a month I have suffered over seven day hours a month without the use of telephone. It is fair and equitable to deduct a proportionate amount from the fixed rent on account of such failure in service. Such failure in service can be calculated form the time of the complaint up to the time of restoration of the service. Not only the goose, let the gander also have the day. The service by Telecom and the bill rendered is like the Military Law of "Comply and Complain". For instance; in my June 2003 bill an amount of Rs. 23.40 has been indicated under item 10 for operator assisted calls; where as I have never taken an operator assisted call myself, nor has anyone in the household. Although I have complained about this I have had no reply. I have complied with the full payment of the June 03 bill expecting adjustment of the item no. 10 as an over payment. Customers' complaints appear to be deposited in the waste paper basket. Y. Amarasena de Silva, Ahungalla A firm date for Muslim festivals It is the considered opinion of every right thinking and intelligent Muslim for the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs to be a proactive and progressive catalyst in respect of not only religion and culture but also politics and general welfare of all Sri Lankan Muslims. In a year we have two major and important festivals to celebrate. They are the Eid-ul-Fitr (Ramadan) and the Eid-ul-Adha (Hadji). Before we celebrate these occasions we Muslims are subjected to a period of suspense, anxiety and confounded confusion because we have deviated, wittingly or unwittingly, from the well tested old time practices. Now, we have to await the decision from the conference of religious dignitaries and others assembled for this purpose at the Grand Mosque, Colombo. Invariably, it takes a long time for the authenticated news to reach us saying yes or no. If it is a no, the disappointment to the poor is enormous. To add insult to injury, the Muslims who faithfully follow the Islamic Lunar Calendar, ignoring the Conference verdict, celebrate the festival the following day. I can remember as yesterday when I was yet a boy how we celebrated the two festivals without any suspense, fuss and confusion. In the event the New Moon was not sighted in Sri Lanka, we get the news that the New Moon was sighted in South India through a leading merchant in Colombo. He in turn conveys the good news by telephone to all the leading merchants in all the big towns. I am at a loss to understand why this practical, easy and very convenient way was abandoned. Therefore I would kindly suggest that before we decide on the date we consult South India for the sighting of the New Moon or we adopt the Islamic lunar calendar dates to fix our two major festivals and avoid unnecessary confusion and inconvenience to all Muslims. Allah the all knowing and our Holy Prophet (PBUH) who gave us a practical and natural religion will no doubt be pleased. Over to you authorities. Al Haj M.L.M. Jabir, Dehiwala. The Daily News has always played a significant role in giving its readers news on incidents that occur across the world. The story of the Iranian twins Laleh and Ladan Bijani touched my heart with its poignancy. There were scenes in their life such as the sisters smiling during a press conference in Singapore and a sad picture of the coffins with a nun praying beside. Mysticism, awe and dark forces seem to surround human beings born in this manner. According to medical science 'conjoined siblings' joined at the skull are the rarest of Siamese twins. The Indian conjoined twins Ayara and Jayara Ratun are joined at the waist and are children of a poor farmer. According to your article they are quite content and revealed to a columnist that they would never consent to be separated even if doctors could assure them a successful operation. Like our country, India hardly affords facilities for the disabled so they face various difficulties. Yet they are quite self reliant and earn a living by making appearances at travelling shows and fair grounds throughout India. The twins lived normal lives nevertheless although they had emotional problems. Though they are conjoined they have separate minds, different opinions and personalities. There was also an article of the Egyptian twins Ahmed and Mohammed Ibrahim in the Daily News. The medical opinion is that they stand a good chance of surviving surgery because of a tender age their bones and tissues are adaptable and pliant enabling them to bear the trauma, tension and exertion of a major operation such as that. The boys share venous sinuses, some brain material which could be divided yet according to sources from the 'World Craniofacial Foundation' in Dallas if their circulatory systems are not properly separated it could be fatal. The article of the Guatemalan twins in Daily News July 26 cast a ray of hope on the subject of conjoined twins Maria de Jesus and Moria Teresa who were attached at their skulls. In the midst of conflicting opinions, a successful operation was done at Los Angeles Mattel Childrens' hospital. I was glad to know that they celebrated their second birthday as two separate individuals. Perhaps, this is one milestone in complicated operations such as this. I believe that medical science is so deep and complex that it does not need an expression of opinion but only the homage of silence. Caryl Nugara, Dehiwala According to a recent decision taken by the National Savings Bank, all individuals between 18-70 years of age, are entitled to obtain a free insurance cover of Rs. 300,000. But, it is very much regretted that the account holders who are over 70 years of age are excluded in the Insurance Scheme referred to. I have also (like most of others) exceeded the age limit. Therefore, it is better if this Insurance Scheme is extended to all account holders irrespective of the upper age limit of 70 years, which would be really much appreciated by almost all the government pensioners in particular as well as the other account holders in the future. Sorry for the unlucky account holders who had been already passed away during the very recent past without any insurance coverage. I hope the chairman of the NSB and other officers who are involved in the matter, take necessary action immediately to remove the upper age limit (i.e. all account holders who are over 70 years of age) and thereby help all such account holders, who are definitely and undoubtedly endorse it as a very reasonable and valuable decision taken by such officers. Also, it is hoped that these account holders will be attracted to take more interest on savings through the NSB. Durand Jayasuriya. Wild life department park bungalow maintenance Gonaviddagala bungalow at Uda-Walawe National Park was opened to the Public in 1997, and from this date up to now, I have stayed three nights every year consecutively for the last 6 years. During my first visit in 1998 the bungalow was well maintained but later its condition deteriorated very badly and the present condition is pathetic. The fridge, beds, furniture, doors, window, fittings in toilets are all damaged. The solar electrical system is not maintained and over 50% of the lights are not working. The main cause is that poor quality materials and fittings have been used in the bungalow construction work by the contractor. Cats, cockroaches and frogs have invaded the bungalow. As soon as it is dark rats start running all over the bungalow and during sleep they run over the body. They creep to the rooms, as all windows are broken. The entire bungalow needs a full repair. Its disgusting to sleep when rats are running all over the place and they eat food stuff and fruits. Very soon the rat population will take over the entire bungalow ! Because of the large rat population reptiles are seen near the bungalow and when I was there a large cobra came to the compound and was driven away by the guide and bungalow keeper. On each occasion I visited this bungalow only one bungalow keeper was present and it is very difficult for one person to cope with all the work. Arrangements should be made to send someone to assist the bungalow keeper at least on days the bungalow is occupied. It's a pity that this huge bungalow built at an exorbitant cost is not maintained. If this is neglected it will be a 'white elephant' to the department. With the massive cost incurred to build this huge bungalow the Department could have constructed two to three small bungalows. After spending three nights at Uda-Walawe park I spent two nights at Mahaseelawa bungalow at Yala park. This bungalow is also neglected. All toilet fittings, beds and doors are broken. No one seems to be interested to maintain these bungalows. It is better if the department increases the present occupation rates and maintain the bungalows properly. In my opinion the main fault for the quick deterioration of these bungalows are very inferior quality materials used during repairs. I wish the Minister concerned and the Director Wild Life Department spend a night at Gonaviddagala Bungalow and see the pathetic condition of this bungalow. I am thankful to the bungalow keepers for delicious food prepared by them for the visitors even with the limited resources they have to cope. Lester Perera, U.S.A. The Finance Minister is surprised that the Inland Revenue Department has failed to collect Rs. 20 billion VAT. But what did he expect from the revenue collection officials at the Inland Revenue Department and Customs. He has demotivated these officials to such an extent that can he expect them to perform. The Finance Minister's tax amnesty has deprived them of earning reward moneys they have worked over for a long period. Many of these officials made personal sacrifices for the sake of the department working even on holidays neglecting their families. Finally to be told the case is closed. It is reported that the shortfall in collections is being investigated and I beg to contribute my two cents worth. There ought to be a large incidence of input credit claimed by genuine tax payers which are not remitted to the department by the companies which levy the VAT (which is claimed as input credit). Information can be collected from genuine tax payers to track the defaulting VAt payers. At present the tax payer is not required to file the details of input tax claimed with the return. It appears that under the Turnover Tax regime this was a requirement. But of course when the Inland Revenue officials go on audits all declarations are checked in great detail and the tax payer is made to pay any tax in default. To whom is a big question. Why can't matching of input tax claims with the VAT returns of the collecting company be done at the department? All VAT payers should be asked to submit details of VAT input tax, which should be fed to a computer database. This data should be matched with the VAT declared as payable on a quarterly basis. Invariably every comparison will show a difference in view of timing differences, when declaring. A statement of all differences however small it may be, should be sent to the tax payer who should be asked to submit a reconciliation of the difference within a given period of time. In this manner the department will also be able to identify companies, which make no return at all. The department would thus be able to get most work done by their officials by the taxpayers. If a tight deadline is set then we too would benefit as the tax payer would be compelled to seek assistance from their accountants/tax consultants. EPF and ETF get all their data entry work done through employees hired on a contract basis. The Inland Revenue department too can adopt the same practice. Registered Auditor |
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