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Morning Spice by Ginger There is no price control on things such as vegetables. A lot depends on your face. If you look keen and affluent enough to buy the stuff they quote a price way above what it is actually selling at. At some daily ‘polas’ some stalls mark the price on a piece of cardboard and display it against each type of vegetable. This means that they do not discriminate. But there is no guarantee that they weigh it all correctly. The selling ploys of the vendor have certainly eroded. Not only the sovereignty of the buyer which the economist firmly believed in but has made him the victim of seller battering for years. Before the Sinhala New Year prices as usual rocketed to fancy heights for more than one reason. Then they kept dipping for some time. Came Vesak and they shot up once more. The drop is slow with the seller hardly believing that buyers would not pay fancy prices any more. In other words, the worm has turned and he in return puts worms in the vegetables he sells at lower prices. It is for this reason that price control men should be made to visit all markets weekly at least and report back on what they observe and prosecute those who short change their customers. Weight-control patch The patches are no bigger than a stamp. Once you place them wherever you want, you wait and see if the scent of vanilla or almond takes away the yearning for sweets. It is felt that there is a powerful link between the senses. They say that the constant smell of anything makes the stomach revolt against it as well. The trouble is that it worth about Rs. 6000 in our money. High-tech weapons Now take the case of Taipei. It plans to cut down the total strength of its army by 10 per cent within the next three years. It has something like 453,000 troops and this figure will be reduced to 400,000. The biggest cutback will come at the higher level where generals will be 25% less in number and others 11 to 20 per cent. Instead Taipei will buy more sophisticated attack craft ships and anti-missile systems. I am writing in response to the article titled, ‘The Economics of Coal Power Generation’ published in ‘The Island’ of April 30 and May 1. The economics and figures produced by Dr. Siyambalapitiya accept the framework and data produced by the CEB and the World Bank. These have been presented by him as being ‘objective’, and given the status of the laws of physics. However, this economic framework and figures are controversial and represent a particular point of view. There are two major points which are controversial and lead to different cost figures. They are: (2) That discounting of future (5-10 percent) value should be applied to all benefits/disbenefits accruing from the power station. These two assumptions have a major impact on the cost/per unit of electricity produced and is highly favourable to environmentally unfriendly, ‘non-renewable sources such as coal’. For instance it is well known that environmental costs of coal power generation outlasts the life span of the power station. The European and North American experience is a case in point here. The impact of British coal power stations on Europe is well known and documented. The large salmon supporting water masses which are now dead, the architectural monuments destroyed and the decay of trees in the German Black forest is attributed to and acknowledged even by the CEGB (UK) to be due to Acid rain emanating from British Coal power stations and exhaust gas emissions from motor cars. The economic dis-benefits thereby outlast the life cycle of the power station by a number of years. The North American experience vis-a-vis Canada and the USA are similar, and led to considerable arguments between the two governments. The environmental dis-benefits of renewable sources such as Wind, Solar and Hydro are restricted to life cycle costs, principally during its initial production/construction phase. The practice of discounting as will be admitted by authorities on this subject such as Meir and Munesinghe, accentuate production/construction and discounts almost to zero environmental costs outlasting the life-cycle of the plant. The environmental costs, of LNG are much smaller than coal, even if they were to outlast its lifetime. The practice of discounting, puts little value on the future, as example the value attributed 33 years into the future (time your children are the major stake holders), is only, if a 10 per cent discount rate is used and 3 per cent if a 5 per cent discount rate 16 per cent of present value. Surely, such an important factor should be decided by representatives of all the stake holders in the game, i.e. the people and not by the CEB, World Bank, based on commercial criteria. The World Bank is only a money lender and why should they be worried about our future? In any event there is an international debate on discounting future value which must be brought to the notice of the public at large. Other than pure economic criteria, there are other considerations. For instance the Buddhist/Hindu cultural triangle lies (40-150 km) kilometres away from the proposed Coal Power site near Narakkali. A 900 mw station even with low sulphur coal will generate a substantial amount of SO2 and NOx gases. They are likely to come down to earth as acid rain. The use of tall Stack (150m) is a pollution export strategy, with Acid rain likely to occur several kilometres away and not around the power station. The EIA report produced on this by the CEB does not even address this question. A mere arrow pointing to the direction of monsoonal winds is surely not an answer. Inter-monsoonal rains with winds blowing inland may be a problem. I am not stating that this is a problem, but that an EIA study must cover a comprehensive analysis of such a possibility. Damage to such a national hertiage may not be acceptable at any cost. The security concerns, arising from a jetty sticking 4.2 km out into the shore and a constant traffic of bulk carriers, would require extensive security measures. The impact of these on the local population and costs/disbenefits should be estimated. There are other inadequacies in the EIA, which I have not addressed here, it is also noticed that the period for comments on the EIA included the Sinhala/Tamil. New Year period, when the number of working days are lessened and the minds of the public are directed elsewhere. I write this article in good faith as part of a process of accountability, which is a must for large projects, in particular, because we know of the many unethical practices used by the chief actors in a rampant market economy, such as ours. Dr. Arjuna de Zoysa Poor security at Dalada Maligawa Immediately after the bomb blast on January 25 at the Dalada Maligawa, almost the whole country felt sorrow and showered their anger on the government, particularly the Minister of Defence, Mr. Ratwatte, for the lapse of security around the Dalada Maligawa. It caused the Minister of Defence Col. Ratwatte to send his resignation to the President which she did not accept. He promised that he would tighten security at the Dalada Maligawa and assured the public that repetition of such nature would not happen again. However the other day it was reported that a woman cop in plain clothes had penetrated the security checkpoint carrying a gun. This clearly shows that there is no improvement in security. We urge the Minister to look into the matter and re-arrange security at the Maligawa so that it will leave no room for repetition of this nature to happen again. It is upto the Minister to see that his reputation is kept whenever he assures anything to the general public. Otherwise, the public will not only loose confidence placed in him but also in the government. S. Ariyaratne, Calling the bluff of a blind-folded visionary From very ancient times, there were charlatans who thrived on the credulity, fear and superstition of the gullible, weak minded masses. Even in the Greek mythology the existence of soothsayers, oracles, prophets augurers and haruspices have been chronicled. Their bluff was never challenged and they thrived quite well without any physical exertion. The programme on the Rupavahini at 10.30 p.m. on April 27 was a telling blow and a thundering slap on the imposters. Super-vision to be able to read even when blindfolded was challenged by Haritus Warusavithana who proved beyond any doubt that the claim was great deceit. It was proved by him and his daughter in the presence of a panel of scientists that the claim was rubbish to hoodwink the people. Those who witnessed that practical demonstration would be eternally grateful to Mr. Warusavithana. It would be extremely useful if the said programme is re-telecast. I used to know Mr. Warusavithana as a very simple and very talented lab technician who was very generous and sacrificing. Many were the occasions that he refused payment from poor patients for his services. He donated his own high yielding coconut estate in Kokkawila to set up a meditation centre which is maintained mainly through his generosity. But, I was most surprised to see this unassuming simple man boldly challenging a super-visionary who had made a name for over 20 years as a god-gifted super human being. How well he did his part! I whole-heartedly congratulate him for the great service that he rendered to society. I hope the gullibles would at least now learn their lesson and give a wide margin to the imposters. Dr. A. D. V. Premaratne Of phone bills and credit lines As a phone user, I received a sheaf of glossy paper from the Sri Lanka Telecom giving a rationale for the recent increase in phone charges. The gist of the story is that present phone users are supposed to subsidise future outstation subscribers, possibly in the name of social responsibility. What they left out was that phone users have to also subsidise the minister. Last weekend I read that I and other victims like myself, through the Sri Lanka Telecom, foot the bill for the minister's personal expenses to the tune of over a quarter of a million rupees a time. He must be having a gay old time spending money he does not have. What is frightening is that this may be only the tip of the iceberg. For all we know other free-loaders - possibly even the entire cabinet of ministers - may be enjoying this facility. This is a government that came in mainly because the voting public had had enough of those in power looting public coffers and using state owned banks as their personal cash boxes. This government professed to be models of rectitude and promised to clean up public life and end corruption "unlike the previous regime etc., etc.," ad nauseam. It now appears that they too have learned how to pick the pockets of the public. If they carry on in this manner - fast track arms purchases, investigating attacks on journalists only under US pressure, GST on pol sambol, Air Lanka, murder contracts on athletes etc., it is virtually guaranteed that they too will be thrown out neck and crop at the next general election. But in the meantime, does anyone care a jot about my rising phone bill? P. Bandaratilleke, The news has it that the President has advised the Samurdhi Niyamakas (or initiators) to take such precautions as not to be wrong footed by the political opponents of the government. Notwithstanding the expected realization of the presidential wishes what her statement reveals is that these so called Samurdhi pilots are now growing away from the government. They were a set of young men and women very specially chosen for a discharge of a massive responsibility, a responsibility so freshly trust upon a new set of rulers after a supposedly lengthy political famine and drought of 17 years of misrule. Perhaps these self same initiators themselves spearheaded the campaign to educate the fallen and the downtrodden about the need to usher in a new set of rulers to salvage everybody from the limbo, which ultimately they did. That was some three years back. Unfortunately for everybody however, they are not drifting away and that is what the other side of the presidential advice reveals. No one can, not even the blind followers of the PA for a moment concede that the salvaging of those fallen has been achieved, for the task remains untouched and even in a worse form. What one should emphasise here is the fact that these Niyamakas were of a specially selected college. The element of endurance in them against day to day ups and downs, defeats and victories, shocks and concessions of a political nature would have been generally above average. But yet, are they drifting away? Are they beginning to see dark political clouds? Can it so be, that they are at an initial stage of realizing that they are with the wrong set of politicians? The gruesome implications of such a reflection in the minds of these special selectees would be very disastrous for the government. This manner of change will amount to an escape. They may feel the agony of betrayal. They are fully satisfied that perhaps, almost all major promises made to the electorate remain unfulfilled. Conquest of the cost of living with bread at Rs. 3.50, employment to all employable in lieu of Rs. 1500 per month until productive employment and so on and so forth, stand nakedly hollow. On the other hand, all proclaimed abstinences are being observed very much in vulgar breach. The containment of Cabinet below 20 was thrown to the winds. The Pajero the symbol of new rich vulgarity, made meritorious indulgence of a politician. Proposals to authoritatively impose on the people serious schemes of fragmentation of this small country, in place of the manifested closure of the provincial councils (white elephant of the 14th amendment to the constitution) against the total will of the majority community, are chasing the new recruits away. The classified beneficiaries of the Niyamakas are progressively understanding the powerlessness and the non-resourcefulness of the fraternity and that understanding is beginning to show. These Niyamakas were to be a part of the solution, and not a part of the problem. With just three years past, they are becoming a part of the problem. What the writing on the wall suggests is that they will in due course become a massive problem itself, leave alone a part. When schemes so grand as these are contemplated, human wisdom and experience directs the planners to make feasibility studies. These studies involve the assessment of tasks to be performed, the manpower, machinery or equipment buildings and other space needs methods to be followed, the funding, the overall management etc. Now what specific work, duty, or function is this Niyamaka assigned to do? Where is he asked to do that from? To our knowledge, the Niyamakas have no specified duties or work and no place to do anything at. He has no awareness or knowledge either, since he was just an untried youth with only an elementary education. His only qualification was the involvement in PA politics. He is asked to handle agriculture, irrigation, canal building, road construction and all other rural sundries of which he knows nothing of. His work is not recorded, monitored, assessed or evaluated. He is not being managed by a superior. On the other hand all such functions are the responsibilities of the Divisional Secretariat. So what is his identity as a State functionary? There are 5,000 or so of them, who have never been recruited under a contract of employment and yet sometimes called part of the public service. They are growing in years rendering it necessary to ensure job security, earn a living wage, marry and raise families. What prospects do they see ahead? They went as pathfinders, and now stagnate as mere shipwrecks. They are unclaimed by the public service and not required by the citizen. My understanding is that these people will remain forever a problem. These are evils created by political escapades, these are not productive employments. If, as revealed by the president's advice to them to remain in the original camp, they are attempting escapes into hostile political enclaves. It should stand a ready-reckoner, an unofficial referendum to government whereby they may judge which way the wind is blowing. Presidential reproaches and reprimands apart, it may well be prudent to restructure the governmental approaches to issues current, and rededicate the political machinery to serve the people who elected them to office. J. Perera, Stray dogs and cats are a common sight. They are both a hazard and a pathetic sight. At present the only manner of dealing with the problem of stray dogs seems to be their mass destruction. This method has aroused so much condemnation and hostility from the public that the problem cannot be systematically dealt with in this way. Only a humane method will be successful. Why can't the government allocate a fraction of its annual budget to put up and run animal homes in different parts of the country? It is well worth the expense. To begin with we can have one in each district and the number can be annually increased with the budget alleviation. All the stray dogs and cats can be rounded up, brought to these homes, sterilized and looked after by paid workers. These homes can come either under the Ministry of Social Services or Health Ministry. Local government bodies and animal welfare associations too, can establish their homes. The dog and cat catchers will thereafter be a welcome sight and the public will readily co-operate knowing well that the animals are in for a better life. Householders can send their unwanted litters of puppies and kittens to these homes instead of throwing them away here and there adding to the stray population. There will also be a demand for sterilized animals from rat infested households for cats and places needing security for dogs. The animals could be sold for a nominal sum. Animal lovers would not hesitate to give donations for the upkeep of these homes. The stray population will decrease in the absence of reproduction, and the country will be free of stray cats and dogs having got rid of them in a humane manner. M. H. M. Ismail, In an interview with the MTV on April 16 the Commissioner General of Inland Revenue, stated that the recently introduced GST has to be charged only after deducting from the price of goods the tax effective upto March 31. But, traders were charging the GST as an additional tax. In other words, the traders add 12 1/2 per cent to the price of the goods that was charged earlier. During the New Year season, the bakers, particularly those specialising in cakes, pastries etc. had a big boom in sales and charging the GST as an additional tax was what exactly they did. All the well known bakers would no doubt have made a mint of money in this manner. Consumers are ignorant of the tax system because it is most confusing with BTT, GST, defence levy etc. in operation and they have to pay what the traders demand. They are not in a position to bargain and argue. It is a take it or leave it situation for the consumer. It is well known that the average Sri Lankan businessman is basically dishonest and would do everything possible to maximise profits. Consumers are not an organised body; they have no way protesting against the ruses adopted by traders. It is therefore, the duty of the government to introduce a mechanism through which such abuses by traders can be checked. In the past there were price control inspectors who were expected to do this duty though the public had very little confidence in them because they were, as a class known to be bribe takers. But the existence of such a system kept the traders in check. The government has to realise that the traders will always look for every loophole in the law to fleece the consumer especially when the latter is ignorant of the law and/or when the law is not clear and interpretations are possible. Some people argue that in an open economy price control has no place and that supply and demand will stabilise the prices. This is no excuse because the government has a duty to protect the consumer from unscrupulous traders who try to circumvent the law. S. Abeywickrama, It is the practice for the chief station masters around Kandy to inform on fused bulbs at stations to new foreman at Kandy for replacement. The new foreman, Kandy, in turn orders the electrical fitters and staff to do the necessary replacement. For example, if the station master at Gampola informs on a Monday to the new foreman at Kandy about the necessity for replacement of fused bulbs; inadvertently the fitter and assistants visit Gampola station on a Saturday or a Sunday to attend to the work and costing heavy expenses to the railway management. A few weeks ago, I observed the electrical fitter and two assistants who arrived at Gampola station by train No. 5 to replace a fused fluorescent bulb. They arrived at about 10 a.m. without the ladder. They used the policeman's table and chair for the purpose. The job was over by about 10.30 a.m. However, those three men returned to Kandy by train No. 6 which left Gampola about 4.20 p.m. whereas they should have returned home by the next available train. They would have the Railway over Rs. 2,000 for the replacement of a fluorescent bulb. I hope that this matter will receive the kind notice of the General Manager Railways. J.P.Wickremasuriya, |
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