Today marks the first anniversary of the present Government headed by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Exactly one year ago the people of this country voted in the current regime with a two-thirds majority ending the four and half year rule (2015-2019) of Yahapalanaya, with much promise.
Of course, one year is too short a time to gauge the success of any Government with the balance sheet only partly complete, having several more years to go. However, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Government could be justly satisfied at how it has steered the ship of State in extremely trying circumstances. To begin with, the present Government came into being in the midst of the worst health crisis ever witnessed in this country or anywhere in the world for that matter in over a century.
From the very outset, instead of putting into shape the battered economy, the new regime was confronted with the issue of saving the lives of the people from the deadly Coronavirus that emerged at the tail end of 2019. It would not be an exaggeration to say that most of the past year was spent by the Government trying to cope with the pandemic, shifting its attention from matters of governance and concentrating on socio-economic problems. Much of its financial resources were diverted towards setting up makeshift hospitals, quarantine centres, Intermediate Care Centres and providing additional beds for the mounting number of patients and the importation of vaccines while at the same time ensuring that the people were not economically deprived or disadvantaged. The Government gave an allowance for underprivileged sections during the lockdown periods.
 The Colombo-Kandy expressway |
It certainly was a tough period to negotiate that would have defeated the efforts of even the best of Governments, a fact that was evident in the chaotic scenarios witnessed in most developed countries that were brought to their knees by the unprecedented crisis. Still, the Government was able to navigate through the crisis during the past year doing its utmost to prevent a total collapse of the system while at the same time ensuring the people’s welfare and well being at a time when for the most part of the year the country was placed under lockdowns and other enforced restrictions and health protocols to deal with the pandemic. Some of these health measures are likely to continue for some more time.
True, there was a steep rise in the Cost of Living (CoL) as could be expected during an economic crisis of the magnitude sparked by the health emergency. Business, trade and commercial enterprises collapsed, throwing people out of work and causing a loss of livelihoods in other fields and sectors. But the Government took the initiative to provide some semblance of relief to the masses handing out a Rs. 5,000 allowance to individuals and families on several occasions as a means of sustenance to tide over their economic difficulties. This was appreciated by all.
The biggest challenge before the Government in the ensuing year will be to get the economy back on track and ensure normal life now that the vaccination rollout is at its peak holding out hope for the return of normality in the very near future. The Government has set a September target for returning to normality after achieving herd immunity through the vaccination drive.
Vital sectors such as tourism that have taken a heavy beating will have to be given fresh impetus and also the export trade that has been paralysed. Lost jobs will also have to be restored for the many who have been without work during the past year. But in sum, the Government has not performed badly given the unprecedented and unexpected crisis it has had to encounter.
It has ensured total security in the country - a chief failure of Yahapalanaya that led to the Easter attacks and hastened its ouster one year ago- and neutralized the extremist threat. It has taken steps to resolve the issue of unemployed graduates by absorbing them into placements in the State sector. It has also provided employment opportunities for semi-qualified and academically unqualified youth with decent wages and pension rights. A minimum ceiling on wages was raised both for the state and private sectors. The daily wage of the plantation workers was raised to Rs. 1000 and steps were taken to build a university to enable plantation youth to get themselves academically qualified and venture out for decent employment. Goodwill has been built and enhanced with the neighbouring countries which saw a visit by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan in February this year. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa also undertook an official visit to Bangladesh.
The Government under the direction of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is taking steps to create a green economy for the country and in this respect has undertaken to introduce organic fertilizer for cultivation to the farmers and in the process tackle the kidney diseases that are said to have their origins in the chemical fertilizers, pesticides and weedicides currently in use, while also at the same time arresting the drain on valuable foreign exchange. Organic foods are good from a consumer viewpoint as well, although they may be a little more expensive initially.
In fact, in a welcome move, the Government has taken a decision to place a restriction on imports that while encouraging local production of essential food crops would also save the flight of foreign exchange from the country at a time of grave economic crisis. Big-ticket items such as motor vehicles too cannot be imported except for agricultural, construction and goods transport vehicles. However, imports of IT devices such as laptops and smartphones are allowed given their crucial importance in the current Work From Home and Learn From Home scenarios.
Also under the directions of President Rajapaksa steps were taken to do away with all ostentation and waste in state institutions including additional vehicles and extra security for Ministers and MPs. Government institutions no longer display the image of the President in their premises, the walls instead adorned only by the Presidential or State emblem.
The legislation was also passed establishing the Colombo Port City that is bound to make this country a centrepiece for foreign investments. This will see completion by 2040. Other similar projects are also in the pipeline for the same purpose. Despite the economic difficulties the Government has also launched many highway projects and flyovers in order to ease traffic congestion in the major cities. The Central Expressway is nearing completion and work has begun on the Ruwanpura Expressway. Work has started on developing 100,000 Km of rural roads. The Government also hopes to generate 80 per cent of the country's energy needs from renewable energy by 2030.
The Government has taken steps to construct state of the art gymnasia in each district for the use of the youth to build their health. Many water supply projects have been started. Steps were taken to prohibit the employment of minors as domestics below 18 years of age after several recent incidents.
As mentioned the ensuing year will pose the biggest challenge to the Government in trying to wriggle out of the health and the subsequent economic crisis. It will have to map out new strategies and seek out fresh funding to revive and resurrect the battered sectors of the economy such as travel and tourism. It must move ahead with purpose in this regard and lay a solid foundation for achieving the goals envisaged in the Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour Policy Document of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
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