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Morning Spice by Ginger
Susanthika needs credibilityIt is easy for us to get pedantic over any issue and comment from the side lines but then that is a Sri Lankans forte and Ginger proudly acknowledges himself a Sri Lankan. Whither Susanthika as far as the sporting firmament goes she was the undisputed queen of Sri Lankan athletics. Could the golden girl have stumbled and made the biggest blunder of her life. Would she be able to maintain her credibility through the rest of her career - credibility was what she needed these days and what more she needed heaps of it as well.
Soon after she was barely cleared of a drugs scandal it was imperative that she kept her image and maintained the picture of injured innocence. Her first mistake was in predicting gold and then bailing out after her timing was bettered by the Chinese girl in the heats.
True, she had pulled a muscle but the doctors there said it was a condition not worth writing home about and that it would not in their opinion have made much of a difference to her performance. She may have genuinely been worried by her bleeding and that thought straining could cause her permanent harm but then she should have run to a special opinion before making such a decision.
Children and sweets
Don't be too insistent about junior keeping off sweets. True it is not very good for his teeth and all that but there are times when taking few more sweets than he usually does could do him some good as well - that of course is if junior is prone to ear infections.Actually the study conducted in Finland found that a sugar substitute called ixylitol is what does children good. This sweetness is normally found in chewing gum. Ear infections was down 40 per cent in children who used chewing gum with this sweetness because it is a very effective antimicrobial.
Endangered species
The Grizzly that roamed the area where Wyoming meets Idaho and Montana was a protected animal and listed as an endangered species. So far the protection programme for around four to five hundred bears has been a great success and the experts say that the Grizzly will live on in this area.Once the bears have been declared no longer in danger of extinction the management of the species will be handed over to a combine comprising three states, two national parks and some national forests and federal agencies as well 'will it be too big for proper coordination' ask some of the experts.
Onions and tears of our farmers
The other day someone from the CWE came on television and tried to tell us that he has done a magnificent job. What he said was that he has imported tons of onions and the consumers should therefore consider him to be a jolly good fellow.
Importing onions is no big deal. Any simpleton can do that. The question is why import when the country is fertile and the farmers are capable of producing all the onions we want. What is lacking is support in the form of extension services. The CWE should take a cue from the Tobacco Company and emulate their dazzling extension services. They should also convince the development banks and get them to fund these services.
When these banks were created, a sense of high purpose permeated the atmosphere and the founding fathers did not fear fine rhetoric to claim that these banks would spearhead the agricultural and industrial development of this country.
The development banks they founded are now suffering from a case of collective amnesia and appear to have consigned agricultural development into oblivion.
Self-sufficiency in food is justified partly by reasons of national security and partly because food represents stability in a world of bewildering confusion.
Ephrem Fernando,
Battaramulla.
USA-UK have launched merciless air attacks on Iraq after Iraq had complied with the requests for the UN Inspectors to inspect their sites. What more do these imperialists want? They starved the poor children and people of Iraq for years with their sanctions. Now this horrible bombing.
They appointed Butler as the Chief of the UNSCOM. He was determined to find fault with the Iraqis to enable the USAŠUK to bomb Iraq. He must be a paid stooge of the USA.
Madeline Albright let the cat out of the bag when she gave out the whole secret when she said they want an Iraq without Saddam Hussein. She of course we know is a Jew. They want Saddam Hussein out because as I have said before the 'Oil Shieks' of America want to go to set up oil companies to exploit Iraqi oil fields. Imperialism, against Saddam Hussein will not let them. Clinton probably wants to draw the attention of the American public from his Impeachment proceedings. And Tony Blair his 'pet spaniel' (Margaret Thatcher was called Reagan's pet poodle) of course obeys His Master's Voice.
The only reports the world gets is from that Butler that Saddam Hussein is not complying with UN orders. But most countries are against the wicked actions of the Americans and British.
'Anti Imperialist'.
There is an attempt to give a communal twist to the UNP voting against the Livestock Development and Estate Infrastructure Ministry Votes in Parliament resulting in the votes not being passed.
The PA has a majority in Parliament. Hence if the government party parliamentarians voted in favour, the Votes would have been passed. Why then were the government parliamentarians not present to cast their votes for? Was the absence of government party members at voting time a chauvinistic machination motivated by communalism to defeat a 'Tamil 'Minister's Votes?
Then again, are there ministers labelled 'Sinhala', 'Tamil' and 'Muslim' ministers in the cabinet? Responsible ministers and parliamentarians should not raise the communal bogey at every turn to gain political ends. When a minister talks of 'my people' is that not partisan and racial thinking?
The attempt to give a communal colouring to the UNP voting against the votes is nothing but a childish attempt rouse racial passions for political gain.
The people know to treat such foolish racial propaganda with despise it deserves!
Upali S. Jayasekera,
Colombo 4.
Disgusting state of Dehiwela MC Roads
All land-side roads maintained by the Dehiwela-Mt. Lavinia Municipality have been in a shocking state of disrepair for the last two to three years. Occasionally a little inefficient ineffective patch-work is done and that lasts only a few days. Let the Mayor and the Commissioner wake up from their slumber and go around and see for themselves the disgusting state of all the land-side roads supposed to be maintained by them. They should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves to hold their positions with this kind of gross inefficiency.
In contrast all the sea-side roads maintained by this Municipality are in a good state and carpeted to boot. Why is this colossal discrimination towards the land-side roads. Well, let the elections come and the present incumbents will learn a lesson of their lives.
K. C. Perera,
Mt. Lavinia.
A reply to the Concerned Citizen
Goods and Services Tax problemI write with reference to the views of the 'Concerned Citizen - Avissawella' which appeared in 'The Island' of December 23, 1998, under the heading 'Goods and Services Tax (GST)'. My comments are as follows:
Just before the implementation of the GST there were three main Turnover Tax (T.T.) rates - i.e. 8% per cent, 12 per cent and 18 per cent. With the implementation of the GST a 12.5 per cent standard rate was adopted. Exemptions were granted on a fair percentage of basic consumer goods/services. Therefore, the overall impact on one's cost of living will depend on the consumption pattern.
The GST registration is required only if any person is engaged in the importation and sale of taxable goods or is engaged in manufacturing activity or is engaged in any other service. Wholesale and retail sale of locally purchased goods is out of the GST net. There are exemptions applicable to all these categories. The department has registered many persons who were not liable to pay T.T. earlier due to numerous exemptions. The department does not agree with the statement that there are 400,000 persons liable to be registered. The department's estimate is that about 90% of registerable persons have been registered.
The GST can be charged from the customers only if the supplier (trader) is registered for GST and the supply is a taxable supply. There is no confusion with regard to this as all registered persons are required to display their registration certificates in the business premises. All exempted supplies have been made public. No person can charge G.S.T. without indicating the Registration number on the invoice/receipt.
Any item imported if taxable (not only beer) will be dealt with as follows:
At the time of clearance the customs will recover GST on the landed cost of the goods. When the importer sells these goods he will be liable to pay GST on the sale price after deducting the amount paid at the customs. Any dealer (whether wholesale or retail) buying from the importer is not under any obligation to register for GST and charge GST unless he volunteers to do so irrespective of the turnover level.
Any item manufactured (if not exempt) will be liable to GST if the manufacturer is registered for GST. Any person selling goods bought from a manufacture need not charge any GST when he sells such goods unless he volunteers to do so.
A service provider (including hotelier) if registered for the GST will have to charge GST on all taxable supplies (including beer). If the service provider has purchased such goods from a GST registered person (either an importer or any other person) he can claim credit for GST paid on the purchases.
What has been exempted in relation to food was unprocessed agricultural, farm or fishing products. When processed and sold (example is a hotel) such sales are taxable.
Jewellery is not exempt from GST.
The tax rate is decided on the revenue requirements of the country. The department will take necessary steps to register all persons liable to be registered.
It is not possible to explain all details in the reply. Any person who requires any clarification with regard to GST can contact the Commissioner General or the G.S.T. Branch.
Booklets explaining the provisions of the G.S.T. Act are available in the department in all three languages.
Commissioner General,
Inland Revenue.
Telecom Regulatory Commission useless
The so-called 121 service run by Sri Lanka Telecom to entertain complaints from subscribers has proven useless. For most of the complaints that people make regarding faulty telephones often fall on deaf ears and Telecom workers take their own time to repair them.
Now that the bovine officials of the Sri Lanka Telecommunication Regulatory Commission have given one week for telephones to be repaired, the situation has further deteriorated. Earlier at least we could plead with Telecom and have phones repaired within two or three days. But today with a timeframe given to them they take their own time and set about the task on the last day. Even if they fail to effect the repairs and Telecom has to compensate the subscriber for the loss, what he gets is a pittance. That's the monthly rental divided by thirty and multiplied by 1.5. This does not come to more than 10 rupees a day.
I am simply puzzled by this. A person whose telephone goes out of service has to make calls elsewhere i. e. agency post office. There he has to pay at least thrice as much as what it costs him to make a call at home. He is also denied during this period the facility of receiving calls. If the subscriber is a businessman or someone who is dependent on the phone for carrying out his duties, the loss he suffers because of Telecom is immense. But those who have Ph.D.s but no brains at the top the institutions that have been set up to monitor Telecom and its counterparts, who are exploiting the public carry on regardless.
It is time the government intervened and devised a system to redress the grievances of subsribers who are paying exorbitant fares various levies and that stupid GST. Even if no call is made, a subscriber has to pay as much as Rs. 300 a month because of these levies high rental and other taxes.
Martin Mendis,
Kalutara.
Death trap at Gampaha Asgiriya bridge
The Owita Ela at Asgiriya bridge along the Minuwangoda Road has caused the loss of five persons for the year 1998. Recently on December 13, 1998 at about 9.45 p.m. Mr. Kitsiri Karunaratne Soysa was riding his motor cycle along this road. Due to his five year old daughter Enoka Udayagani's leg getting entangled in the apron of the wheel, the father could not control his motor bike.
The cycle fell immediately in to the stream below which was 30 feet deep. The wife Mrs. Padmalatha Perera (28 years) and two daughters Mallika Taraka (5 years) and Enoka Udayangani were drowned. The three bodies were brought ashore only at 2.30 a.m. by one Mr. Wijeratne Banda. Large crowds gathered at the scene to rescue the persons drowned.
The two children and their mother died on the spot. The father who was rescued earlier, was admitted to the Gampaha Hospital and after one hour he regained consciousness. Their family of three members lost their lives.
'Earlier a young girl travelling with their father in a motor car fell down the Owita Ela and the young girl died after removal to the Gampaha Hospital. A Doranagoda CTB bus also met with an accident at this spot and 13 passengers were injured.
The Gampaha Urban Council and the Minuwangoda Pradeshiya Sabha should take immediate action to build a parapet wall or widen this dangerous bend and make it possible for all vehicles to pass this spot without any danger.
L. C. I. Fernando,
Gampaha.
Down to Earth
Is Latin really dead?By Derrick Shokman
Latin was the language of the Romans who once ruled the whole Mediterranean world, spreading across the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe during the first two centuries AD.Then like any othr great power, Rome fell. But the Roman language continued to be taught in the western world well into the 20th century.
Why did Latin have such an influence in the western world?
The answer to that is as simple as ABC. Latin is the most widely used alphabet in the world to this day, which the Romans developed and took with them as they conquered the western world.
The upper-case letters you read in this article are the same ones the Romans were reading in 600 BC. Roman publishers brought the lower-case forms into existence about 300 AD.
The only change since then came in medieval times, when the consonant value of I was promoted to J, a letter in its own right, and V was divided into U, V and W. So that, for example, IVLIS became JULIUS.
That name brings back memories of Julius Caesar, whose accounts of the Gallic wars were the first Latin prose we learned at school, after having got the hang of amo, amas, amat and hic, haec, hoc.
Later we got to know a little of Vergil and Horace. Even though I have forgotten my Latin, I can still remember the English translation of Horace's famous epilogue in the third book of 'Odes':
'I have erected a monument more lasting than bronze and taller than the regal peak of the pyramids.... I shall never completely die'.
How true! The Roman Empire died with all its great achievements, but the Latin language lives on. Not as a spoken language maybe, although Horace, Vergil, Ovid and Livy are still being read, but in the many Latin phrases we use in our conversation and writing.
Some examples are alma mater, alter ego, ignoramus, in extremis, ipso facto, percapita, quid pro quo, ex officio, prima facie, habeas corpus, carpe diem, am, pm, RIP, QED, et cetera.
And of course there is Julius Caesar's well known war despatch after the battle of Zela: Vini, Vidi, Vici - I came, I saw, I conquered.
A humorous twist on war despatches comes to us from the British army in India. General Sir Charles Napier set out in 1843 with an army detachment to capture Sindh, now in modern Pakistan.
Back in Delhi, his commanding officer Lord Ellenborough anxiously awaited word of the outcome. Finally it came to him in the form of a cryptic Latin word - peccavi.
The Latin-learned Lord immediately recognised it as the past tense of the Latin verb pacco, meaning 'I sin'. Peccavi was meant to convey the message 'I have Sindh'. General Napier had captured Sindh.
In concluding this sketch on the living nature of a dead language, I'd like to direct your attention to a Latin inscription at the Harvard Law School.
The Romans were great law-makers. They respected the law as a shield to protect individuals against one another and against the awesome power of the state.
The inscription at Harvard conveys that idea precisely. The English translation is as follows:
'It is not by men, but by God and the Law that we are governed'.
