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CHOGM will promote Sri Lanka’s image – Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena

Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said after the end of terrorism, the biggest challenge faced by Sri Lanka is to project its image globally. Therefore, the CHOGM would be the ideal forum to promote the country’s image globally and dispel misconceptions on Sri Lanka internationally. The Minister in an interview with the Sunday Observer said such wild propaganda has no effect on the country as the CHOGM will be held as decided by the government. Journalists and investors who visit Sri Lanka with Commonwealth delegates could see for themselves the prevailing peaceful situation in Sri Lanka. Therefore, we should use this significant event to create an attitudinal change among Commonwealth countries on Sri Lanka.

Minister Abeywardena said that the UNP’s present crisis would not make it easy for it to win any future election.

The UNP leadership has sidelined or expelled competent people from the party. Its biggest problem is that attempts are being made to run the party on personal agendas. There is no point in criticising the decision by an emerging politician such as Dayasiri Jayasekara to leave the UNP as he was compelled to take such a decision. After the Provincial Council elections, perhaps the UNP would realise the severity of its setback. The UNP would certainly face its biggest defeat at the forthcoming Wayamba Provincial Council election. Thousands of people in Wayamba are rallying round the UPFA Government today.

Excerpts of the interview:

Q:CHOGM is a forum for Sri Lanka to portray the true situation in the country and promote investment opportunities. Your comments?

A:We are already getting ready for this event. Most of the host states of CHOGM had gained many economic benefits. Australia as the host state of CHOGM 2011 had attracted nearly US$ 10 billion in investments within four years.

The Minister said if the country is to continue the 8 percent economic growth, it requires at least 35 percent GDP investments. Even of we do our best, only 8 percent of the investments can be realised locally while the remaining 27 percent has to be sought from foreign direct investments (FDIs). At present we are exploring the possibility of attracting FDIs from countries worldwide. We would mainly target CHOGM for this purpose. Our Ministry has already identified the type of investments needed for the country.

More investments under the five key sectors-tourism, power, agriculture, industrial and mixed development in the IT sector are important. The Ministry will provide facilities for investors to launch their ventures. We have also set up an Investor Centre as an information desk to educate foreign investors visiting Sri Lanka along with Commonwealth delegations. This would no doubt help bring unprecedented investment opportunities to Sri Lanka.

Therefore, we are now educating Ministry officials on how to conduct the investment promotion campaign. The Ministry has called upon foreign embassies to furnish background information regarding investors visiting Sri Lanka. Nearly 800 foreign media personnel are due to arrive in Sri Lanka to cover this event. Their help to promote the country’s image globally would be important.

Q:The Commonwealth agenda covers economic, social and also matters of common interest to the Commonwealth. Is it correct to say that it is no forum for human rights, minority grievances or those relating to internal affairs?

A: Earlier certain sections attempted to prevent CHOGM being held in Sri Lanka. They created the impression that certain countries will boycott CHOGM due to issues relating to human rights. Of the 54 Commonwealth countries, 53 have already confirmed their participation in the CHOGM. Some people have alleged that we are spending huge amounts of money for this event.

After the end of terrorism, the biggest challenge faced was to project the country’s good image globally. Therefore, the CHOGM would be the ideal forum to promote the country’s image by doing away with misconceptions created on Sri Lanka by interested parties internationally.

Whatever propaganda was carried out it failed to create any bad impression on Sri Lanka. Journalists and investors coming over to Sri Lanka with the Commonwealth delegates would be able to see for themselves the prevailing peaceful situation. The delegates will also visit the North and the East as well as areas such as Galle and Hambantota in the south. Therefore, we will use this key event to create a massive attitudinal change among the Commonwealth countries on Sri Lanka’s image.

This would be the key advantage to the country. Since the CHOGM will have a salutary effect on the country, it expenditure will not be of much consequence. The CHOGM is not a forum to discuss human rights or other internal matters. However, the political opponents attempt to divert the Commonwealth agenda in that direction. Earlier too attempts were made by certain elements to prevent the CHOGM being held in Sri Lanka. The pro-LTTE Tamil diaspora in the UK even called upon the British Government to boycott this event. The British Foreign Minister has, however, said that they had taken a unanimous decision to host CHOGM in Sri Lanka.

Q:What is the impact of the global recession on investments by Western countries?

A: The global recession has not made any big impact on our investments compared to other countries. Most of our exports such as garments are high quality products and orders had been placed for a long time. There is a good demand for Sri Lankan tea as well. Infrastructure development, political stability and peace have made a positive impact on our investments. Therefore, we should compare our investments with other countries on these key contributory factors. For example, many foreign investors set up garment factories in Bangladesh due to its low labour costs. By and by security problems and human rights cropped up.

Later the salaries in the garment sector were also increased by 80 percent. As a result, the investors lost confidence. In Sri Lanka, we have ensured investor confidence and as such recession has not made any serious impact on our investments. If not for the global recession we would have also moved forward rapidly.

The revenue from garment exports has shown considerable increase. If we promote investments, we would able to go ahead along with other developing countries. Today the country needs new investments. We have decided to set up two industrial zones at Suriyawewa and Mirijjavila.

Mixed industrial ventures such as IT, industrial, residential, vehicle assembly, sugar refining and power projects will be set up in these zones.

This kind of new investments in collaboration with other countries will be introduced. We have no intention of going ahead with garment factories in these zones too. We have given priority for new investments and business ventures to be launched with foreign countries.

Q: Could you elaborate on the new investments in the Northern and the Eastern Provinces?

A: We opened a new factory in Vavuniya last August. It would provide 2,000 employment opportunities for the people in the area in two stages. At present the Government is rapidly developing infrastructure facilities in the North and the East. More new factories will be set up in the North. The Government has already spent over Rs.47,000 million to develop the road network in the North and the East. Another US$ 4 billion project will be launched in Sampur and the initial work of which has already been completed.

At present approval has been granted to a large number of investment projects by the BOI. Therefore, investments would flow into the country within the next two to three years.

This would help us reach our targets. We are developing Passikudah as a tourist zone while Vakarai too has been identified as a new tourist zone. In addition, a 150 room tourist hotel is under construction in Jaffna.

Likewise, we try to channel more investments to the North and the East by providing facilities to attract the investors.

Q: Could you explain the pros and cons of the present electoral system in relation to the Pradeshiya Sabha and Provincial Council elections?

A: I don’t say that this Provincial Council system is a bad system for the country. If it is properly implemented, it can render a good service to the people. Certain problems have arisen and the quality of Provincial Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas have deteriorated due to the misconduct on the part of certain Provincial Councillors and Pradeshiya Sabha members.

At present President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Government are very keen on the conduct of these provincial politicians. For example, nominations were not given to a UPFA Wayamba Provincial Councillor due to his unruly behaviour. The Government has warned that it would not give nominations to any provincial politician who indulged in such unruly behaviour.

The quality of Provincial level politics should be improved taking similar stern action against unruly politicians. Under the Gama Neguma and Maga Neguma programs, the Government has channelled large amounts of money to develop rural areas. To strengthen the rural economy, infrastructure facilities should be developed. This responsibility has devolved provincial politicians. President Rajapaksa and the Government would be very keen on the discipline of provincial politicians.

Q: As a former UNPer how do you explain the situation that led to UNP Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara’s leaving his party?

A: In view of the present crisis the UNP will not win any future election. The present UNP leadership has sidelined or expelled competent people in the party. The biggest problem with the UNP is that it attempts to run the party on personnel agendas. There is no point in criticising the decision by an emerging politician such as Dayasiri Jayasekara to leave the UNP. In fact he was compelled to take this decision. After the Provincial Council elections, perhaps the UNP would certainly realize the severity of setbacks suffered by them.

This time the UNP would face its biggest defeat at the forthcoming Wayamba Provincial Council election. The UNP has no strategy whatsoever to emerge victorious in Wayamba. At present thousands of people in Wayamba are rallying round the UPFA Government. Before criticising the Government, the UNP should ensure its stability to face elections.

When infighting and dissension rages within a political party, it would never pose a challenge to the Government.

Q: What is this ‘political infection’ in the UNP which sounds the death knell of those who criticise the party high command?

A: This is the most unfortunate situation in the UNP. UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe thinks that this Government would collapse so that he could gain power.

A political party should have a good organisational structure. At present all are rallying round President Rajapaksa. We maintain friendly relations with all politicians.

As a result, a large number of Opposition politicians join hands with him. There is no dictatorship within the UPFA Government. Anybody can express his views frankly. If there is dictatorial rule in the UNP, it would never emerge from its present crisis.

Q:Voters are polarised between two major political parties as evidenced from the past voting patterns. Does it mean that the Sri Lankan voter is wiser than his regional counterparts?

A: Yes. Our voters are always concerned with two factors. Personal reasons have led politicians to form alternative political parties in Sri Lanka. They are not formed on any policy. The SLFP was the only political party formed on a political ideology.

There are two extremes in this country. One is the Communist or the leftist extremism while the other, the UNP represents the upper segment of the society. The Late Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike created the Pancha Maha Balavegaya, the quintuple village force by introducing principled politics into the country.

Thereafter all political parties in Sri Lanka had been formed on various personal agendas. Even Gamini Dissanayake and Lalith Athulathmudali quit the UNP and formed the Democratic United National Front due to personal grounds.

However, they could attract UNP votes as they were UNP stalwarts. After their demise the party collapsed. Sarath Fonseka also formed his own political party based on personal grounds and his party also collapsed later. People are not ready to vote for this kind of political parties.

They only vote for the two major political parties as they are intelligent, compared to their counterparts in India or other Asian countries. Our voters always take the right decision. The majority of the people voted for President Rajapaksa, since they knew he is the only leader who can protect the country from terrorists.

Q:Whatever the infighting in the UNP, the importance of a viable Opposition needs no emphasis. How do you explain the present lethargy and lack of cohesion in the UNP?

A: This is a very dangerous trend. Politicians like myself maintain the view that there should be a vibrant Opposition to make constructive criticism.

It would then help rectify mistakes if any and face any challenges successfully. There is no such strong Opposition today. The concept of a vibrant Opposition was destroyed by the UNP itself. That was the biggest damage done by the UNP to the country.

The yearning for power has become the UNP’s aim and they care less for the country.

There is a power struggle in the UNP to consolidate power by its incumbent leader while another faction is attempting to oust him and assume party leadership.

If this trend continues further, the UNP would reduce to a minor political party very soon. At present the vote base of the UNP has eroded to a deplorable level of 28 percent. This is a very unfortunate situation for the country.

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