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Indo-Lanka trade treaty baffles business leaders

by Amal Jayasinghe
Sri Lanka's top industrialists Thursday expressed reservations over a hastily concluded trade pact with neighbouring India which diplomats said was also causing ripples in other South Asian countries.

Sri Lanka's Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry said there had been no consultations with their members before Colombo on Monday entered into what the two governments call a Free Trade Agreement.

"We still don't know what is in the agreement," federation president Patrick Amarasinghe said. "The government keeps saying the private sector is the engine of growth but they have not consulted us on this."

Amarasinghe said they were also unable to get answers from the trade or foreign ministries about the trade pact sealed Monday during a visit to India by Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga. "If this is an opportunity for us to access the vast Indian market, then it is well and good but our industry is not geared to that," Amarasinghe said.

Business leaders also noted that a "negative list" which excludes commodities and products from tariff concessions effectively kept out the key items that Sri Lanka could have exported to India.

Sri Lanka's main exports of tea, rubber and coconut as well as ready-made garments have been excluded from free trade arrangements leaving it with nothing tangible to export to India under tariff concessions.

Indian agricultural produce will be in Sri Lanka's "negative list" in a bid to protect its farmers but officials pointed out that any crop failure would anyway forces the island to import food commodities duty free. "What matters is not the one thousand items for which India is giving tariff concession but how many of those are actually traded," a banker here said. "The pact, I supposed seeks to reduce the trade gap between the two countries but how it will be achieved without waving a magic wand to expand Sri Lankan industries 10-fold in the next three year beats me."

On the other hand, Indian exports have been doing nicely even without a trade agreement. Official figures show that Indian exports to Sri Lanka were 13 times larger than the imports from the smaller nation.

The trade pact envisages India eliminating some of the import tariffs on Sri Lankan products within three years from March 1999 while Sri Lanka will take eight years to reciprocate. However, the time table of the trade pact could also have little relevance because Sri Lanka's budget unveiled in November committed the island to lowering its tariffs and moving towards a two-band tariff structure by 2000.

Sri Lanka has already cut import duties across the board for a large number of products with taxes on transport, communication and medical equipment already classified under zero duty.

The two countries have 60 days to finalise items on their respective "negative lists". "This, in other words, mean that the two countries signed what they describe as a 'land mark' agreement without knowing what the final shape of it is going to be," an Asian diplomat said. He said a matter of concern to members of a seven-nation South Asian grouping was the implications of the bilateral arrangement for a planned regional free trade agreement.

The proposed South Asian Free Trade Agreement allows "fast track" bilateral arrangements as a precursor to the regional trade treaty but other members must be kept informed.

Sri Lanka, which currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), has not informed the others of the bilateral pact, a diplomat said. The Sri Lankan foreign office was not immediately available for comment.

Diplomats also expressed fears that the bilateral trade agreement could be a sign that the proposed South Asian free trade block may not take off as planned by 2001.

The South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), fashioned along the lines of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), was to achieve precisely what the joint India-Sri Lanka side-show attempts to do over a longer period.

The seven-member SAARC groups Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

President Kumaratunga urged other South Asian member states to enter into similar bilateral trade pacts and said: "For this, we have to think afresh and move away from some traditional attitudes. Besides, there is also a need to find methods to reduce tension in the region." - (AFP)

n
...set up meetings with two sides

By Franklin. R. Satyapalan
The business leaders will soon separately meet the two teams nominated by the PA and the UNP in a bid to hammer out a consensus between the two major political forces in the country on resolving the ethnic problem.

"We'll do everything possible to bring both major political parties together to find a solution to the North-East conflict and bring peace", Mr. Lalith Kotelawela, Co-ordinating Chairman of the businessmen's group said.

Kotelawela said that they will meet the PA's four nominees - Ministers G. L. Pieris and M. H. M. Ashraff and Governors Neville Kanekaratne (Southern Province) and K. Vignarajah (Western Province) at the BMICH on January 10.

This will be followed two days later with a meeting with the UNP nominees - Messrs. A. C. S. Hameed, Ronnie de Mel, K.N. Choksy and D.M. Swaminathan.

Mr. V. Anandasangari, Senior Vice President of the TULF welcomed the businessmen's initiative and said that there was some good sense prevailing.

But SLMC leader M. H. M. Ashraff said that the businessmen's facilitator group now comprising only of Sinhalese and Tamils should also include a Muslim.

"I hope that they would rectify this necessity in order to succeed in. their goal", Mr. Ashraff said.

Anti-Terror Movement not happy about Lal Jayawardene

The National Movement Against Terrorism has lodged a strong objection to Dr. Lal Jayawardene's nomination as Sri Lanka's new High Commissioner in London largely on two grounds.

They accuse him of sponsoring S.J. Thambiah's Buddhism Betrayed during his tenure at WIDER, the Helsinki-based UN Institute and say that it has become ``an apologist Bible for the Eelamists.'' The Movement says that after a committee of five Secretaries of Ministries looked into this matter, the book was banned here.

The anti-terrorism folk are also not happy with Lal Jayawardene's wife, Kumari. They say that Dr. Kumari Jayawardene is the leader of the Social Scientists Association which has sponsored 'anti-national publications.'

Dr. Jayawardene is due to assume duties in London early next year succeeding Mr. S.K. Wickremesinghe who will be back home shortly. It was not clear yesterday whether he would appear before the parliamentary select committee screening high appointments before his departure for London.

A statement issued by the Movement also recapitulated criticism in the Finnish press about the conduct of affairs at WIDER during Dr. Jayawardene's tenure there.

He was not available for comment yesterday on the criticism leveled by the National Movement Against Terrorism.

President's recent visit to India
Talks covered bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest

Talks between Sri Lanka and India during President Kumaratunga's recent visit to India covered the full range of bilateral relations and several regional and international matters of mutual interest, states a press release from the Indian External Affairs Ministry.

"Both sides expressed great satisfaction at the excellent state of bilateral relations and warmth and understanding that exist between the two countries.

During the visit Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee and President of Sri Lanka,. Mrs. Chandrika Bandarnaike Kumaratunga signed an agreement to establish a Free Trade Area between India and Sri Lanka. The Free Trade Agreement is expected to lead to the steady expansion of bilateral trade and investment through the gradual reduction of tariffs. India will phase out tariffs on Sri Lankan goods in three years, Sri Lanka will take 8 years to remove tariffs on Indian goods. The value of two-way trade in 1997 was US $ 603 million (Indian exports to Sri Lanka US $ 569 million, Sri Lankan exports to India US $ 44 million). The Agreement has built - in safeguards to prevent market disruption with respect to sensitive domestic sectors on both sides.

The two countries reaffirmed the high priority attached by them to effective regional cooperation and agreed on the need for early commencement of negotiations on the SAFTA Treaty. (It may be recalled that at the 10th SAARC Summit in Colombo it was decided that the Agreement for the SAARC Free Trade Area - SAFTA - would be ready by 2001).

A Memorandum of Understanding on the setting up of an India - Sri Lanka Foundation was signed by the External Affairs Minister and the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister. The Foundation, to be set up with matching contributions of Rupees 20 million from both sides, would work towards promoting bilateral exchanges in the field of art, culture, trade, commerce and science and technology. The Foundation would be governed by an independent Board.

The Indian Prime Minister and Sri Lankan President participated in a joint foundation stone laying ceremony for the expansion of the Sri Lankan Pilgrims Rest at New Delhi. The Rest is located on land gifted by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1957 and provides transit accommodation to pilgrims of all faiths from Sri Lanka, India and other countries.

The Sri Lankan President met leaders of Indian business and industry over a luncheon meeting. She spoke of the potential for the growth of trade between India and Sri Lanka in a new era signalled by the FTA agreement. She expressed the hope that SAARC member countries would find it possible to move rapidly towards free trade arrangements with India and each other. She comprehensively reviewed the economic situation in Sri Lanka and the region and invited the Indian business community to participate fully in the economic development of Sri Lanka.

The visit helped to strengthen further the close and friendly ties between India and Sri Lanka and to expand areas of bilateral cooperation. The discussions between the two sides were held in an atmosphere of great cordiality and deep understanding. The discussions reflected the high priority attached by both countries to the maintenance of close, cooperative and friendly relations.

CBK as designer

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has turned her hand at graphic designing and turned out a New Year card with two peace doves and a kite in gold on a dark blue background.

Four colours have been used for the card - a gold border framing two broader borders in white and light blue with the motif in gold lines on a dark blue background.

Inside are some lines on a scroll:

Peace is a Battle
Like Freedom, like Justice,
Peace is never given freely, never acquired,
Its conquest, is a result of courage and of respect for others.
It demands awareness and commitment from everyone,
Peace is not the law imposed by the mighty,
but that which is founded on equality and dignity of all peoples.

And on the flap opposite the credit line: "Design by C.B.K."

Her Season's Greetings encompasses "Happiness, Success and Peace in the New Year".

Jaffna M.C. meets to condemn latest killing

The TULF controlled Jaffna Municipal Council braved LTTE threats and met on Friday to pass a resolution condemning the cold blooded killing of their Jaffna organiser Pon Mathimugarajah who was tipped to be the next Mayor.

This was the fourth meeting of the Jaffna MC since the September 11, 1998 bomb blast that claimed the life of TULF Jaffna Mayor P. Sivapalan and destroyed the council building. Friday's meeting was held at Stanley Road.

Well informed sources said that while the council meeting was in session, ex MP V. Ananda Sangari, Senior Vice President of the TULF, had received two telephone calls threatening him with death unless the council proceedings were stopped.

The unidentified caller had challenged the TULF hierarchy to come out of their headquarters and demanded that they halt political activities in the Jaffna peninsula.

Fourteen councillors attended Friday's meeting chaired by TULF Vice President and MMC K. Sinnadurai in the absence of Deputy Mayor S. Raviraj who was abroad.

The councillors who attended comprised of 6 from the TULF, 3 from the PLOTE , 4 from the EPDP and 1 from the EPRLF.

"If those responsible for Mr. Mathimugarajah's death had seen his wife and two children after the killing, they would have preferred to bite their cyanide capsules rather than carry out such orders of the LTTE hierarchy'', Ananda Sangari said.

Ananda Sangari who said that the LTTE was a ruthless organisation destroying innocent, unarmed Tamil moderates asked: "Would they have done it to the armed Tamil political parties?''. (FRS)

1998 growth slower than expected

The Sri Lankan economy grew at a slower than expected 4.1 percent in the third quarter, forcing a sharp downward revision in the annual growth forecast for 1998, officials said Friday.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka in its just released third quarter results said that the GDP growth in the third quarter of 1998 was 4.1 percent compared to 4.4 percent in the second quarter and 5.8 percent in the first quarter.

Central Bank economists said they now expected the country to register about 4.5 percent growth for 1998, lower than the 5.0 percent the government had expected when unveiling this year's budget in November.

Former finance minister Ronnie de Mel said he expected growth rates in 1998 to be under four percent and 1999 was expected to see an even worse performance because of poor economic management.

Despite upbeat assessments by government politicians, private analysts said that 1999 was expected to be more difficult because of falling prices for tea, Sri Lanka's main export commodity.

Official figures show that tea prices fell by 17.3 percent in October. The Sri Lankan currency also depreciated against all major currencies in 1998 by about 11 percent.

Exports fell sharply in August indicating the economy which picked up momentum from unusually high tea prices earlier last year was running out of steam and into trouble, analysts said.

An analyst at the private Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) think-tank said good prices for tea had saved Sri Lanka from the effects of the East Asian crisis, but would not continue to do so. (AFP)

Sri Lanka, the war the world forgot

COLOMBO, Dec 30 (Reuters) - The boom of artillery and the cries of wounded soldiers and rebels in Sri Lanka went mostly unheard around the world in 1998 because the Indian Ocean island's ethnic war had dragged on too long, diplomats said.

"I think nobody really pays any attention. It has gone on for a long time, so the media aren't interested. It's self-contained, so there are no international implications," said one Western diplomat.

"Thousands are killed or wounded, but it really makes little difference on the global scenario. Sri Lanka is not Gaza, it is not Kosovo," said another Western diplomat.

Others said the war between government forces and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels fighting since 1983 for an independent homeland was likely to rage on well into next year unless a lasting political solution surfaced.

"There will probably be more of the same problems in 1999. The war will continue and the army will gain more territory from the rebels. But that will not end anything," said the first diplomat.

A history of violent incidents in the 16-year conflict continued in 1998 with several blasts rocking the capital Colombo as the country celebrated its 50th independence anniversary.

The government was forced to shift the venue of its celebrations to the capital Colombo from the central hill town of Kandy after a blast blamed on the rebels shattered Sri Lanka's holiest Buddhist shrine.

Towards the end of the year the government called off the bloodiest campaign in its war against the LTTE after thousands of soldiers and rebels were killed or wounded in the 18 months of fierce fighting for a key northern highway.

"There are far more people who have been killed in the fighting, disappeared or displaced in Sri Lanka than in the former Yugoslavia. But international attention is not on Colombo," said the first diplomat.

"It (the war) is something that the Sri Lankan government likes to keep quiet about because it's a bit embarrassing to have a war going on in the backyard for so long," the diplomat added.

He said another reason there was little interest in the Sri Lankan war was because both sides were not making efforts to seek international mediation.

Since it came to power in 1994, the ruling People's Alliance government has worked hard to play down the fighting after years of international criticism heaped on Sri Lanka for human right abuses under the guise of the ethnic war.

"It basically internalised the war. The view today generally is that the war is an internal problem and has to be solved internally between the two parties," an Asian diplomat said.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga has consistently said while there was a need for a third party to facilitate talks between the two warring sides due to years of distrust, there was little role for a mediator.

LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran said last month he was willing to hold initial talks with the government to create a climate of goodwill before entering into formal negotiations to end the war, but added he favoured third-party mediation since the majority Sinhalese government lacked the political will to resolve the problem.

The government has been trying to push through parliament a set of constitutional reforms that would devolve more powers to regions, including one administered by Tamils, to partly meet the LTTE demand for a homeland in the north and east.

But a lack of clear majority in the house has prevented the government from pushing the reforms through.

The Sri Lankan army chief Lieutenant General Sirilal Weerasooriya said recently the military would continue its efforts to defeat the LTTE.

"We have been given the task to defeat the LTTE, defeat them as a force that is not strong enough for them to continue. Ultimately, there has to be a political solution," he said.

That, diplomats said, seemed unlikely to happen soon as the government and the main opposition United National Party held divergent views on how best to solve the imbroglio.

Two NGOs okayed to monitor election

Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake has authorised two NGOs, PAFFREL (Peoples Action for Free and Fair Elections) and the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence to monitor the Wayamba PC elections on January 25.

Police said yesterday that there was a lull in the campaign violence and hopefully the New Year would see an end to election incidents. A total of 93 incidents have been reported up to now.

Meanwhile security in the province is being strengthened with 3,000 additional policemen to be deployed following bomb threats from the LTTE to PA leaders campaigning in the province.

Police said that they were using specially trained sniffer dogs as a deterrent to explosive substance being smuggled into the province.

Several ministers joined President Kumaratunga at a jana hamuwa in Yapahuwa yesterday.

SLMC leader M.H.M. Ashroff has summoned his party activists in. the North Western Province to meet this morning to direct on assisting the PA campaign.

PAFFREL which plans to deploy 3,000 monitors in the field with 10 mobile monitoring centres met Messrs. Ranil Wickremasinghe and Karu Jayasuriya in Colombo last week to solicit their cooperation to eliminate election violence.

They also had a meeting with the JVP's General Secretary Tilvin Silva for the same purpose.

PAFFREL said that it would lodge complaints against 25 candidates running at this election for commission of various offences like threatening opponents. They said that candidates from both sides were guilty of these violations. (FRS)

Lankan MPs meet Shanti Bahini

Several Sri Lankan MPs were members of a delegation which completed a week-long study tour in Bangladesh which included a visit to the Chittagong Hill Tracts where they met with representatives of the Shanti Bahini who are largely Buddhists by religion.

The delegation on this tour facilitated by the National Peace Council was led by Social Services Minister Bertie Premalal Dissanayake. MPs from both government and opposition, Dallas Alahapperuma, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Rukman Senanayake, Sarath Amunugama, Ali Zahir Moulana and P.P. Devaraj, participated.

Members of Pradeshiya Sabhas and Buddhist monks were also in the delegation which was accompanied by representatives of the National Peace Council.

A NPC news release said that the main objective of the Bangladesh visit was to familiarise the delegation with the ongoing peace process in the Chittagong Hill Tracts between the Dhaka government and the Jumma (hill) people-based Parbatraya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Somity (PCJSS-Shanti Bahini).

NPC said that this tour was part of its political program launched in February 1996 with the objective of building a political will and consensus for a negotiated political solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka.

The Lankan delegation completed their program with a visit to the Bangladesh parliament where they met with the Speaker, the ruling party Chief Whip and Minister for Special Affairs.

NPC said several problems especially in the implementation of the Accord were reported to the delegation, especially by the groups on the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

These concerned certain shortcomings in the laws that have been passed following the signing of the Peace Accord and the speed of implementation. However, the delegation was informed by the parties of their willingness to iron out these difficulties in a spirit of sincerity with a complete reliance on the democratic process.

Three Buddha statues gifted by Thai journalist

A simple ceremony was held at the Bangkok International Airport recently when Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Minister of Buddha Sasana Lakshman Jayakody accepted three Buddha statues gifted to the Government of Sri Lanka by the people of Thailand.

The story behind this is that a Thai columnist Nithipoom Navaratna who writes a regular foreign affairs column to Thai Rath visited Sri Lanka for the first time in June 1998 and the second time in August 1998. Nithipoom visited Galle among other areas in the country. Nithipoom had visited a poor temple in Galle named Sri Shaila Madyaramaya in Dadella, Galle where the Chief Priest is Ven. Telwatte Nanda Thera.


Columnist N. Navaratna handing over the statues to Minister Lakshman Jayakody		 This temple did not have a Buddha statue and when Nithipoom got back, he wrote in his column asking anybody who wishes to donate a Buddha statue, to do so. Thai Rath has a daily circulation of 1.2 million. Nithipoom's readership is estimated at 25 million out of the 60 million population in Thailand.

The response to the request has been tremendous. Apart from the three statues donated to the government and one to the Sri Lanka Embassy in Thailand, there is another large statue which will be shipped to Sri Lanka and handed over officially to the minister at the Madyaramaya in Galle.

According to many Thai people who spoke to us, this episode has strengthened the age-old religious and cultural bonding between Thailand and Sri Lanka.

CSHR celebrates 50th anniversary of Human Rights declaration

The Centre for the Study of Human Rights/University of Colombo (CSHR) celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a half day seminar at the BMICH on 10 December 1998.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Lakshman Kad-irgamar was chief guest and Mr. Tyronne Fernando, MP, guest of honour. Professor Bert Lockwood Jr. delivered the keynote address.

Professor Ravindra Fernando, Dire-ctor/CSHR, in his welcome address noted that after a bleak period of blatant human rights violations the climate of social justice and accountability was evident. He drew attention to the focus of the Centre's activities - namely education in human rights, with a wide spectrum of people benefiting, ranging from the university undergraduate to the professional and on to grass roots level through community centres that are within the purview of the Human Rights Education Prog-ramme.

Prof. W. D. Lakshman, Vice Chancellor, Univers-ity of Colombo, said the university community and others could be justly proud of the achievements of the CSHR since its inception in 1961 under the directorship of Dr. Deepika Udagama, founder, and the present director - Prof. Ravindra Fernando.

Mr. Kadirgamar noted that December 12, 1998 was a proud day for mankind - this 50th anniversary of the adoption of a most important document, representing the highest aspirations of man. Dignity and worth of all mankind was recognised; freedom and rights assured each and everyone. Today is a day of sadness too, the Minister declared, when surveying the situation of human rights in the world, and noting that the situation has not improved within the 50 years of the UDHR Complacency is not to be tolerated.

The universality of human rights as expressed in the Declaration leaves much to be desired. The Declaration has given rise to protocols, conventions, undertakings, but not all States observe them. Many give mere lip service. 185 States are party to the Declaration but many have yet to ratify it.

Another moot point is the effectiveness of measures taken to secure universal human rights. UN forums introduce resolutions against States that err, often found to be ineffectual. In very recent times an approach different to confrontation has been used. Cooperation, discussion, encouraging nations to honour human rights is wisely replacing accusation and ostracism.

Eleanor Roos-evelt's observations are valid even today. Human rights must be preserved and applied between man and man before one gets onto the grand scale of State compliance. Human rights is a neighbourhood fact. It is to be honoured firstly in the world of the individual; within his family, in his college, in his workplace.

The Minister ended by emphasising the rededication of all to the Declaration as we approach ever closer to the 21st century.

Mr. Tyronne Fernando quoted examples of the violations of human rights and on the converse the upholding of them in Sri Lanka. He mentioned the Conventions that were a direct result of the UDHR: the 1952 Rights of Women; 1960 Declaration of the Independence of Colonies; 1987 Declaration Against Religious Intole-rance; 1990 Rights of the Child.

He observed that the N-E conflict and its intensification in recent years have worsened the human rights situation in the country. National security or a consideration for it cannot be used to override political procedures.

The keynote address by Professor Bert Lockwood Jr. traced the origin and development of the UDHR and related Conventions, Decl-arations and Protocols. Margaret Mead was quoted: "Do not make the mistake of thinking that concerned people cannot change the world. It is the way that ever has worked." H. G. Wells had declared: "Do not wait for leaders. Act yourself."

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was to create a vision, a recipe for freedom for all humanity with no discrimination whatsoever, irrespective of race, colour, sex, language, religion, birth, status.

The technical session that followed had preeminently qualified persons dealing with the various aspects of human rights. Mrs. Manouri Muttetuwegama chaired the session.

Mrs. Dhara Wijetillake, Additi-onal Secretary, Ministry of Justice, dealt with fundamental rights per se; while political rights were enunciated by Mr. Desmond Fernando, PC, Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy, Director, Interna-tional Centre for Ethnic Studies, spoke on women's rights, bringing in observations and experiences she's made and met with as UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women.

Child rights were spoken on by Professor Ravindra Fernando, while social and economic rights was dealt with by Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam, MP. The session was brought to a close by Mrs. Nirmala Perera, Head/Faculty of Law, University of Colombo who spoke on worker rights.

Injured soldier gifted three-wheeler

An injured soldier who lost both eyes, both hands and a leg in a landmine blast in the North has been gifted a three-wheeler to help him to get about.

Cpl. Ravindra Rupesingha of the Sri Lanka National Guard who was severely injured in the landmine blast found travelling difficult due to his multiple disability.

The corporal who lives off Horowa-patana appealed to the Lt. General Denzil Kobbekaduwa Trust for a donation of a three-wheeler. His wish came true on December 18 when the management and workforce of Agio Tobacco Processing Company (Pvt.) Limited of Biyagama together with the Kobbekaduwa Trust gifted him the three-wheeler.

Matara bound train derailed

From our Galle Corr.
The Matara bound passenger train which left Maradana at 7.15 a.m. yesterday was derailed around 9.30 between Kahawa and Hikkaduwa.

All seven bogies of the train had jumped off the track, but none of the commuters had been reported injured, railway sources said.

The train service between Colombo and Galle had come to a complete standstill and workmen were engaged in clearing and effecting the necessary repairs to the track at the time this edition went to press.

A face-lift to the legal system with World Bank support

"The Government has implemented a proper scheme of providing facilities necessary for rendering optimum services required by the people from the Judiciary in the most efficient manner. Since this Scheme has the financial support of the World Bank, it would be possible through this Scheme, to give a facelift to the judicial set up which had been long neglected", said the Minister of Justice, Constitutional Affairs, Ethnic Affairs & National Integration and Deputy Minister of Finance, Prof. G. L. Peiris, addressing the members of the Bar after inspecting the construction site of the new Magistrate's Court Complex at Kesbewa.

This Court Complex constructed at a cost of Rs. 45 million under the World Bank Aid and the allocations of the Ministry of Justice will include a fully equipped judicial hall, office network and facilities for the custody of the items produced in Courts.

"The present judicial hall and the other buildings of the Magistrate's court, Kesbewa are more than 100 years old. It has become impossible to carry out properly. The work in the Magistrate's Courts due to lack of adequate space and the dilapidated condition of the buildings", said Mr. Munidasa Nanayakkara, Magistrate and the Additional District Judge of Kesbewa.

The construction work of the new building is scheduled to be completed by June next year and the repairs to the existing building will be effected to include a rest room for lawyers, a canteen and a waiting room for visitors.

The Minister met the Court staff and enquired about the difficulties countenanced by them. It was revealed that there was a need for furniture, filing cabinets, typewriters and other office equipment. The Minister gave an assurance that the requirements would be met within the next few months.

The Minister took note of a proposal to upgrade this Magistrate Courts as it would be of enhanced benefits to the people of the area.

A large number of members of the Bar of the Magistrate Courts were present on this occasion.

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