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by Dr.Tissa Vitharana

(Continued from last week)

Revitalising the Plantation Sector is an urgent necessity

The decline of the plantation crops can have a considerable impact on Sri Lanka's foreign exchange earnings (tea accounted for 14% of export earnings in 2001). The higher productivity and earnings by the small-holders, despite exploitation by middlemen, may offer a solution for the estate sector.

Each worker family on an estate could be given in charge of a particular extent (1 to 2 acres) of tea land and they are responsible for all activities (weeding, plucking etc.) and the estate factory guarantees the purchase of the green leaf yield, after deducting the cost of input materials and overheads. The same could be done with rubber. This would provide the type of incentive that has produced results among small-holders leading to increased yields. It could lead to the desired rise in productivity.

Crop diversification on plantations, including energy forests, and value adding industries, would also boost incomes. Promotion of organic farming and restoring soil fertility are also important.

The living conditions of the workers and their families and provision of services (health, education in their mother tongue etc.) all need to be improved. Some private plantation companies are charging unconscionable sums for managerial services and their efficiency is questionable. In addition their readiness to genuinely develop the estates and also serve the people working there is a matter of doubt. The whole question of management and ownership needs to be reviewed.

Reduce inequalities in Society - by welfare measures and poverty reduction; effectively taxing the rich and not the poor; reducing conspicuous consumption. The economic gap between the rural area or plantation sector as against the urban areas, and also between districts must be narrowed.

The growing inequalities in society must be narrowed to avoid social unrest and the increase of crime. The poor must be given a ration of essential food items at subsidized rates through cooperative stores and selected private retail outlets, or as a food for work programme, till their incomes rise above poverty levels in a sustained manner.

The taxes on the rich that have been lowered by the UNF Government should be restored to earlier levels. The large number of tax dodgers should be brought into the tax net. The VAT which has contributed to rising prices, largely a burden on the poor and middle income earners, must be eliminated. Price control on medicines must be restored.

Conspicuous consumption must be reduced by maximising tariffs and other taxes, and by the example set by the political leaders.

The welfare State must be preserved while it should be geared to effectively promote and participate in national development.

The State must be responsible for and provide the essential infrastructure and regulate, and when desirable run, services either alone or together with the private sector. These include water supply and drainage, fuel, electricity, telecommunications, roads, railways, public transport (air, rail, bus), health, education, banking and insurance.

Ensuring the provision of an adequate service to the rural sector and the poor must be a particular concern of the State and its responsibility. In addition, where privatization had led to adverse consequences the State will have to retrieve the situation e.g. the bus service. The private sector can compete in selected areas on the basis of its own investment, but without monopoly rights.

The administration of the State shall be made up of the Central Government and the Provincial Councils, with defined devolved powers, and the units of Local Government. The efficiency and discipline within the State sector has to be improved to private sector levels.

The duties and responsibilities of the staff at all levels must be clearly defined, so that they can be made answerable for any breakdown in performance or errors and suitably dealt with. Auditing should not be confined to financial matters but pay more attention to output and performance assessment.

Under-performance should lead to stopping promotions, bonuses etc while good performance should be adequately recognized and rewarded. Democratic governance should be broadened by involving the people served as well as the employees in decision making at enterprise/institution and regional levels (employees advisory councils etc.).

Selection criteria for recruitment and for promotions must be merit, and political interference or favouritism must not be permitted.

For national development the work force, both blue and white collar, must be contented and dynamic.

To ensure this workers' rights and privileges must be protected. They must be made to feel that they are not mere cogs in a machine but active participatory contributors in the enterprise. Where possible their voice should be heard in matters of decision making. Ideally, they should directly benefit from increased profits made by the enterprise so that they have a vested interest in the success of the enterprise.

At a minimum they should be rewarded for better performance. In-service education and skills enhancement should be promoted. However workers have to be aware of their responsibilities towards the workplace and discharge this effectively if the enterprise is to survive in a highly competitive society. Annual collective agreements at the work place should be respected.

For economic development there must be a dynamic science and technology capability established in the country to give the necessary backup to industry and agriculture. This must be established forthwith by strengthening and upgrading the existing facilities, training the scientific personnel and giving them the payments, working and living conditions that they deserve (comparable with their counterparts abroad), and rewarding them suitably for original contributions (research etc.) that benefit national development.

The Science and Technology (S&T) policy that was developed at the time of the previous PA Government should be implemented. It is the responsibility of the State and it must not be left to the private sector. The technology transfer mechanisms that are now lacking must be established. In planning, S&T personnel must be consulted.

Taking Science and Technology to the Village. The development of appropriate technology for the needs of our society and its advancement must be given highest priority. For this there must be a two-way link between the S&T and R&D institutions and the people, specially at village level. Atleast one S&T (Vidatha) resource centre must be established in all 320 AGA Divisions in the country.

These should be manned by resource personnel, including S&T graduates, and be linked to village level Vidatha societies and also through a computer network to the S&T/R&D institutes.

This linkage could also be extended to that of e-government so that speedy governmental support can be obtained to fulfil village needs.

While the present drive in Information Communication Technology (ICT) should be intensified, a conscious effort must be made to ensure that it does not only benefit the affluent. It must reach the under-privileged as well and be available in Sinhala and Tamil.

But it must be remembered that ICT is only a tool and that development of modern science and technology at all levels is the key to development.

The rich base of traditional knowledge in the country needs to be tapped to benefit society. Herbal medicines, ayurvedic and other traditional medical practices, medicinal plants, pesticides of plant origin, traditional knowledge and practices in irrigation and agriculture should be scientifically investigated and used.

There should be properly drawn up national policies in all key sectors that are appropriate to Sri Lanka's short and long term needs, taking into consideration the financial and other constraints that exist and making full use of our own resources.

They should be formulated by local personnel who have the necessary knowledge and experience. Foreign expertise should only be considered when it is lacking here, and for this Sri Lankan expatriates should be preferred. International agencies and foreign governments must not be permitted to dictate to us, specially if it is against our national interest.

Once finalized the policies should be implemented without delay. For instance an Energy Policy is lacking and needs to be formulated, while there is an Education policy it is yet to be implemented.

Desirable new policies, like encouragement for alternate renewable energy, which is lacking today, need to be introduced and existing policies, like free education up to tertiary levels and a free State health service based on an essential drug list and other similar approaches, need to be protected. Instead of lip-service being paid to key activities, such as preventive, health, these policies must be properly implemented.

Natural resources should be accurately determined and they should be exploited in our best long term interests with maximum local value addition, and with due consideration for the environment. They should not be allowed to be exploited in the interest of foreign multinationals to our disadvantage as was attempted in the case of the Eppawela phosphate deposit. Sri Lanka's bio-diversity and the environment should be carefully protected in a way that it benefits present and future generations.

Privatisation as an ideology will be given up and will be done only where it is considered absolutely essential in the national interest. All previous privatisations will be reviewed and if they have been done in an irregular manner or against the national interest, they will be reversed or suitably restored to productive activity. Those who have acted against the national interest should be suitably dealt with.

Protect our culture and values from the attack of imperialism. Considering that our culture and values are under attack from imperialist globalisation, the State must actively intervene to fight the media blitz of consumerism that exploits violence and sex and uses blatant falsehoods to mislead the public.

Consumer rights must be defined and protected by law.

The State must encourage and provide facilities for the setting up of voluntary consumer rights organisations in each locality.

The schools and media must stress only the positive aspects of Western culture and be critical of the negative aspects. While promoting all aspects of indigenous culture and inculcating respect for the diverse cultures that exist in the county, a national Sri Lankan identity and culture must be developed.

To be continued

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