Ceylon Today Editorial

From Phonegate to Media Ban

27 December 2016

Last week, we wrote about public servants who become malignant personalities after being intoxicated by the noxious fumes of power and authority. We wrote about the importance of individuals who do not take power to their head, when he or she has a responsibility to use that granted power responsibly. We also told you how public servants who do not adhere to this common discipline, and stray seeking thrills most definitely ends up being ridiculed by many.

This is what the Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara has become.
Following his last week's debacle of suspending the Police news sent out to daily to private media institutions through emails, Inspector General of Police Jayasundara has found himself being vilified and being cast aspersions at.

According to several media reports that came out last week, Inspector General of Police Jayasundara had ordered to immediately stop the release of daily updates to private media organizations due to the recent uproar in the country with regard to his allegedly controversial telephone conversation in Ratnapura. Dubbed fondly by the media as the Phonegate incident, the Inspector General of Police having a phone call with an individual only addressed as 'Sir' reached scandalous heights in both mainstream media and social media. The news was telecast on a private media channel. The matter even reached the political arena where ministers and other politicians, where they made various comments on the matter-adding hay to the burning fire. Inquiries were called, meetings were held and that was only the beginning it seems.

This was the incendiary moment that has led to the latest emotional breakup between the private media organizations and the Inspector General of Police. The hassle is incidentally most similar to a bad blood break up between lovers after one gets to know the significant other has been wanton and promiscuous which has led to the parting. Now the 'victim' of the breakup has decided to take melodramatic revenge on the former lover. It is up to the reader to decide who is who.

Jest aside, the Inspector General's emotional decision-making has led us to have some rather unsavoury thoughts. If he's this emotional when it comes to handling media reacting to his actions, we are left to wonder what he does when it comes to handling crimes and corruption. If he's this easy and cheap, we can only but imagine to which 'Sir' he has allowed to pull his strings.

As per the instructions of Inspector General of Police Jayasundara, the Police Media Unit, which has lost all its glory days now, will not invite private media representative to any functions held at the Police Headquarters in future. Accordingly, this means that the private media institutions will not be invited to important (or otherwise) press conferences nor will they be given any information to be reported.

The Inspector General of Police was quick to deny the order of suspension (or rather, alienation of private media) to politicians during his many meetings. Even the Police Media Unit, which was contacted when this editorial was being written claimed that they will be sending regular emails and notices from evening onwards. The last notification this newspaper – a private media institution, if you didn't know – received from the Sri Lanka Police was on 17 December. As of yet, we have not received any email updates from them, regardless of their dodgy explanations. When inquired about the Inspector General's orders to ban private media, the Police Media Unit only gave an unsatisfactory answer of: "Ehema monawath nae ithing" (There's no such thing).

Currently, Sri Lanka has a majority of private owned media institutions when compared to the number of State owned media outlets. The Inspector General's decision of alienating the private media organizations – if such a thing has happened or not or is going to happen in the near future – is a bad idea for one particular reason. That is intentionally ignoring a particular part of the media would only result in bad publicity. The Police Chief's image is already at risk and we simply cannot but highlight the fact that this decision will only make it worse. Hopefully, he sees the light, understands the severity of this situation and promptly retracts his decision. That is the wise thing to do.

Daily News Editorial

Boost for public transport

27 December 2016

Everyone in Sri Lanka wants to buy a vehicle, at least a scooter or motorcycle. It is certainly an aspirational desire, but even more than that, there is one other compelling reason for wanting to buy a car. Our public transport system is so pathetically inefficient, crowded and inadequate that most people seek “liberation” by buying a vehicle. It is not surpassing that the country’s vehicle population has climbed exponentially from just three million vehicles in 2008 to over six million today.

This has resulted in gridlock and chaos on our main roads in all cities. The average vehicle speed within Colombo was between 40 to 60 kilometres per hour in 1980 but it has been reduced to 8 kilometres per hour. It is predicted that this speed limit will be reduced to six kilometres per hour by 2020.

The solution to this problem is not restricting the import of vehicles or widening the roads, though these could have a temporary beneficial effect. The best solution is developing the public transport system to the level where everyone will be keen to keep the car at home. Almost no one uses the car to go to work in London, Tokyo or Singapore, because the public transport system is so good. We should aspire to achieve the same goal.

The Government has realized the need to have a world-class transport infrastructure system and given priority to building a Light Rail Transit (LRT) system covering Colombo and the suburbs. The plan is to identify entry points to the city and start a light railway system from each point. This new LRT will cover main suburbs including Borella, Kottawa, Battaramulla, Kaduwela, Maradana, Mattakkuliya, Peliyagoda, Dematagoda, Kadawatha, Bambalapitiya and Kirulapone.

The LRT will be the best solution for Sri Lanka, since a subway (underground) Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) will be enormously expensive and complicated to build. A good LRT system, with trains running only a few minutes apart, will help attract car owners and tourists as well. The authorities can even have a Gold/First Class in the front carriages for those who want a bit more luxury at a higher cost. They can also implement a cashless smartcard payment solution for the trains with automatic gates.

The Government also plans to electrify the main suburban rail lines, which will enable faster travel at 100 Km/h. This was a long overdue measure. The Kelani Valley Railway line will be extended up to Ratnapura and an additional line will be constructed between Polgahawela and Kurunegala. A Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is also in the works, with separate lanes for buses. Such systems are already operational in several countries, with launches due in India, Bangladesh, Tanzania and Vietnam. Transport experts are already talking about autonomous buses whisking passengers along BRT corridors – the technology for this exists, but the regulatory framework does not.

Although it is very difficult to widen existing roads, it is easier to build all-new elevated roadways. A flyover is already being built at Rajagiriya, one of the busiest towns in the country. Plans are already afoot to launch the construction of two new roads, one between New Kelani Bridge and Athurugiriya and, the second road between Kelani Bridge and the Colombo Port next year. Considering that nearly 350,000 vehicles enter Colombo daily, this is a praiseworthy move. The Western Provincial Council plans to cut down the number of vehicles entering Colombo daily by 50,000, but this will succeed only if an alternative, more comfortable mass transport system is introduced within the next few years.

Earlier, there was also a proposal to levy a London-style congestion charge to enter Colombo from vehicles occupied only by the driver (i.e. 90 per cent of vehicles entering Colombo), but this seems to have fallen by the wayside perhaps to practical and logistical problems. The authorities should encourage carpooling or Uber/Lyft style ride sharing to cut down on traffic congestion. Most countries have exempted electric vehicles from these charges to encourage their use.

Sri Lanka can do a lot more to improve public transport. The recent strike by private bus crew showed how dependent we are on the private bus network. The Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) with its 6,000 buses cannot match the private bus fleet. The Government should take urgent steps to strengthen the SLTB, which actually has a workforce far in excess of the number of buses. These workers can be put to better use if additional resources are made available to the SLTB whose buses are the only option available in certain remote areas and after about 8 p.m., in all other areas. These core strengths of the SLTB should be reinforced.

All public transport systems must be integrated to give the best possible deal to the commuter. A good LRT system will be of no use if there are no “last mile” buses to take the commuters to their homes. The LRT planners must take such factors into account to make it a success in the real world.

The Island Editorial

Sauce for political goose …

27 December 2016

 

The stage is now set for the implementation of a contributory pension scheme for the state employees to be recruited, we are told. Old habits die hard! The UNP-led UNF government (2001-2004) introduced it as part of the much-touted Regaining Sri Lanka project. It was, however, abolished by the SLFP-led UPFA government, which restored the non-contributory pension scheme.

The incumbent government suffers from what one may call the economic bipolar disorder. It claims to be cash-strapped, pinches and scrapes as regards social welfare and development and tries to regain Sri Lanka at the expense of the working class. But, it has no such pecuniary worries—in fact, it goes on spending sprees as if there were no tomorrow—when politicians’ nests have to be feathered.

Public sector workers, lured by the incumbent government’s pre-election promise of a pay hike, helped defeat the previous regime which could not match the offer. Middle and low income groups, especially state employees, had a respite after the change of government last year. A pay hike was given to the state employees and the prices of some commodities including fuel were reduced. But, less than two years on the prices of all essential commodities have gone through the roof owing to fiscal mismanagement and unconscionable tax and tariff increases which have taken a heavy toll on Citizen Perera’s real income. So, it has been a case of swings and roundabouts for the public sector employees who received a salary increase in 2016; the private sector workers have been plunged from the frying pan into the fire, so to speak. They have to pay more for the same goods and services while their income remains static.

Adding insult to injury, the government has increased the pocket money for MPs, who now receives Rs. 100,000 each per month. They are also allowed to sell their duty free vehicle permits and pocket the proceeds, which are exempted from taxes! It was only a few weeks ago that a supplementary estimate was presented to parliament seeking as much as … for a fleet of super luxury vehicles for government MPs and ministers.

Leaders of the ruling coalition are more airborne than chair-borne so much so that the Sri Lankan government is said to be in the air! True, nobody takes SriLankan aircraft fully loaded with hangers-on and keeps them waiting in faraway lands until his return. But, large amounts of public funds continue to be wasted on VVIPs’ foreign junkets which don’t seem to benefit the country, which is without loans or foreign investment. The loss incurring Mihin Air may be able to turn itself around if it operates daily flights from Colombo to famous Indian shrines, given the sheer number of Sri Lankan political leaders who rush to those places, seeking divine interventions to sort out their domestic problems. Aren’t local deities good enough for them?

If the government cuts down on its mindless waste of public funds, it may not have to resort to drastic action such as the abolition of the non-contributory pension scheme and slashing subsidies. Where are the public sector trade union big guns who were felicitated by the ruling politicians after last year’s general election for their contribution to the incumbent regime’s victory? Having promised the working class a better deal, they owe an explanation to the public sector workers protesting against the abolishment of the non-contributory pension scheme.

If the government really believes that the new pension scheme is good for state employees and the country then let it be extended to parliamentarians as well. MPs at present become eligible to retirement benefits after completing only five years in Parliament. They must be made to share the woes of the public. After all, they say they are even prepared to lay down their lives for the people, don’t they? There must be no discrimination against the state employees. Sauce for the political goose is sauce for the public sector gander.