Daily News Editorial

Challenges for 2017

02 January 2016

The New Year which dawned yesterday will be of great importance to Sri Lanka, with the Government announcing an ambitious three-year development drive that will last through 2020. One of the first events in this connection will be the commencement of work on the Volkswagen factory in the North Western Province.

Significantly, President Maithripala Sirisena will mark two years in office on January 8 while the Good Governance/National Unity Government will mark the same milestone on August 17. Instead of having tamashas, the Government has pragmatically opted to start a number of development projects on account of these anniversaries.

The Government has been accused of neglecting development by the Joint Opposition and certain sections of the media. It was true that certain projects were halted temporarily to investigate whether any improper financial deals had taken place when they were originally given the green light. These probes have mostly been concluded and development efforts are now underway at a rapid pace.

The Mahinda Rajapaksa administration created an impression in the minds of the people that development is only about expressways, buildings and jogging tracks. While these are indeed needed, development cannot be restricted to material things alone. Concepts such as human rights, law and order, Right to Information, freedom of expression and assembly are also part and parcel of development. This Government has done a lot of work in these spheres in two years, which unfortunately has not received enough publicity and awareness. Perhaps the most important of these is reconciliation among the various communities, which is considered a priority by the Government.

The Rajapaksa administration erred in thinking that physical development should come first at all times. Former President Rajapaksa, in a recent interview with an Indian newspaper admitted as much. On the other hand, people value freedom, dignity and other rights more than physical development. Although the former President was alluding to the Northern Province in particular, it is a universal phenomenon. What is the use of a brand new road if the people have no proper livelihoods? It is in this context that we should commend the Government for designating 2017 as an year to eradicate poverty. Reconciliation, poverty alleviation and development go hand in hand, but it would be churlish to focus on physical development alone.

Development, physical and otherwise, is a cornerstone of good governance. Unfortunately, there is a notion among the public that a “little corruption does not matter as long as the goods are delivered”. But the problem is, there is no “little” corruption once someone decides to take the plunge. It does begin slowly and with small amounts, but expands later to multi-million dollar deals. In 2017, the Government must resolve to eliminate all forms of bribery and corruption. We often look up to Singapore as a model of development, but Singapore achieved its present status mainly because the late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew did not tolerate any corruption at all. Perhaps anti-corruption measures can be included in the proposed new Constitution itself.

There are many rumours surrounding the extent of devolution to be proposed in the new Constitution, but one thing is clear – devolution in some form is essential for development. With Local Government elections looming probably in mid-year, there will be a vibrant debate on the role of local bodies in development and social welfare. Local bodies and provincial councils know best when it comes to the development needs of each area and thus should have a bigger say in development plans. The inequality between the Western Province and the other provinces in terms of economic growth and development has not been a very healthy feature – any measures that bridge this massive gap will be welcome in 2017.

In this country, we have been talking about certain development plans for such a long time (a few decades) that most people have given up these ideas for good. Finally, however, at least two of these proposals seem to be getting off the ground in 2017. They are: the Light Rail Transit (LRT) for Colombo and the suburbs and the electrification of a few railway lines, beginning with the Panadura-Veyangoda segment. These are essential given the unbearable traffic congestion in the City and suburbs. If a comfortable and clean public transport option is available, people will not hesitate to leave their cars at home at least for the work commute. Many other transport projects under the Western Province Megapolis project will begin in 1917, though they will take a few more years to become operational.

Most of us still live with a “war mentality”. It is 2017, and time to move on as one Sri Lankan nation. The past, as they say, is another country and we have to look forward to the future. This year, we should begin to think of ourselves as Sri Lankan, instead of categorizing ourselves into Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and Burghers. This could be the biggest change that will benefit Sri Lanka in 2017.