Ceylon Today Editorial

Extortionists rule private bus services 

Saturday 07th November 2015

 
Ransoms that amount to a staggering Rs 170 million per mensem is extorted from private bus owners on a monthly basis due to the negligence of the current Yahapalana Government. President of the Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association Gemunu Wijeratne making this jolting expose recently revealed that certain individuals extort money from bus owners on a daily basis and the private bus owners face a loss of more than Rs 170 million every month. His revelations exposed that these shady characters, who operate with the knowledge of the time schedulers and the National Transport Commission of Sri Lanka, take ransoms of Rs 100, 200 and 500 or even more from some bus drivers and conductors when they return from trips.

An extortion culprit never practises his dirty work at home. The extortion ring that operates inside the transport sector of this country is completely different. Although it may have its external influences, this extortion is mostly carried out by the individuals who are involved in the sector. This is made apparent after the revelations made by Gemunu Wijeratne when he said that those at the Sri Lanka National Transport Commission and the several other State officials condone these extortionists conducting their dirty work on a regular basis.

Last year, it was reported that the daily income of the private bus owners registered under the Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association had decreased by 50 per cent in addition to the money lost to extortion and embezzlement. According to Wijeratne, the private bus industry is on the verge of collapse due to this bribery and corruption that has swollen in the industry. According to him, a large number of route permits are issued annually without adhering to rules and regulations. These route permits were issued to buses in routes which already have enough buses. Also there is a bus surplus; buses are not distributed properly among routes, resulting in passengers having to face inconveniences.

Bus owners pay 25% of their revenue as ransom daily. However, this is not a new problem. The extortion ring, in the bus industry and the transport sector in Sri Lanka, has been there since the private bus system was introduced by the 1977 UNP Government and will continue to thrive if proper attention is not given to it. Although Trade Union organizations such as this Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association have made thousands and thousands of clarion calls and cries, all that has fallen on deaf ears. When there are allegations of corruption against the National Transport Commission of Sri Lanka, which is supposed to regulate the activities of the private bus industry and act as an independent regulatory body, from where can the justice be meted out?

Despite the complaints lodged at the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, no action has been taken, as of yet, to crack down on this extortion ring that is cementing its regime in the country's private bus industry with each passing day. If not properly attended, this viral infection will spread to other sectors of the country's transport. The State cannot turn a blind eye anymore to this matter.

The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe Yahapalana Government continues to boast that there is good governance and rule of law in the country. Is the government hell bent on only resolving the large scale corruption cases of the previous administration? Doesn't the government consider the case involving a sum as large as Rs 170 million as being large enough to be considered as a large scale corruption case?

Sometimes, the smallest criminal case has to be solved and justice has to be sought before putting the bigger monsters to bed. Yes, the government may perhaps be keeping its promises, but that should not be at the cost of ignoring these cases of extortion and ransom. The devil lies in the details and the most minor of crimes has the potential of turning into a full blown mayhem with given time and opportunity.

We do not criticize the government for favouring corruption cases that would grab the attention of certain sections of the general public. But we do however criticize it for ignoring the other part of the general public who is still wallowing in the swamp of tar black corruption.

Daily Mirror Editorial

The Middle Path to Social Justice

Saturday 07th November 2015

 

With extreme capitalism and socialism going into recession or depression all over the world, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday outlined the comprehensive and revolutionary socio-economic policy which would bring Sri Lanka to the hallowed middle path. He described it as a third generation policy, the first two being the Jayawardene era and the Premadasa Era.

The regular crises in the United States, Western Europe and other countries have proved that the wholesale globalized, capitalist market economic system does not and will not work mainly because it widens the gap between the rich and the impoverished people. About 150 years ago the legendary ideological visionary Karl Marx promoted the principles of socialism because he saw how the rich and ruling elite were exploiting the impoverishing the people, sometimes using the name and cover of religion. In line with this the Marxist-Leninist Russian Revolution took place in 1917 but eventually Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union produced an ideology that was more like state capitalism than socialism which means an equitable distribution of wealth and resources and community life. This communism or socialism spread far and wide to China, Eastern Europe and other countries but the system that still exists today is widely seen as colour-washed state capitalism.

After centuries of experiencing or experimenting with the two extremes, many countries are now moving to the middle path which had been proclaimed by leaders of liberative spirituality. We are glad that Sri Lanka is also now being taken on this journey on the middle path in broad terms, Mr. Wickremesinghe on Thursday described it as a socialist market economy.

In a regularly applauded 17-page speech in Parliament the Prime Minister focused on the revival of the rural economy, agriculture and the farming community who for thousands of years have been a vital part of the heart of Sri Lanka’s time-honoured culture and civilization. The Premier said the opportunities that existed for rural families and communities to make a successful living had been destroyed. Large and medium scale ventures that enriched the rural economy had been deactivated. He said Sri Lanka must urgently address this issue and take meaningful steps to develop the rural economy by addressing the crises through an upliftment of the rural economy within a short-term development framework. Mr. Wickremesinghe said 2,500 state rural development centres would be setup through the grouping of many villages under one development centre. He assured the national government would also strengthen and build the rural infrastructural facilities such as village roads, village wewas and the village fairs.  Large-scale agricultural enterprises in which farmers could be members would be established under the plan to develop the rural economy. Through this the government would initiate a competitive agricultural market and revive the export of agro products.

Summing up the socioeconomic and social justice strategy, the Prime Minister said Sri Lanka needed to make sure the golden era of prosperity that we had during the period from King Manawamma  (684 - 719 AD) to King Maha Parakramabahu  (1153–1186 AD) could dawn again. He called on all political parties and people of all religions and races to cooperate with the national government in rebuilding a new Sri Lanka where diversity and plurality are not only respected and promoted but also celebrated.

On the eve of the Prime Minister’s landmark speech, the Jathika Hela Urumaya’s frontline parliamentarian the Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera told national television that a vital feature of the new economic strategy would be a gradual growth towards organic agriculture. He said instead of the large subsidy for imported chemical fertilizer, farmers would be given Rs.10,000 to Rs.12,000 to buy or make natural organic fertilizer. When this mission is in full bloom Sri Lanka within three years would be able to produce all the nutritious food we need from hundreds of varieties of non-polluted vegetables, fruits and grains.

Despite fumbling and failures amid widespread public criticism of delays in bringing to justice the former VIPs who allegedly plundered billions from the people’s resources, the national government appears to be on the right path which is the Middle Path. All parties and all people need to cooperate in this new vision and mission. While we are entitled to various rights including the Right to Dissent, which are linked to responsibilities. To the extent we fulfill our responsibility to put our country first, only to that extent will we be entitled to our rights.