Why Rajapaksa is good for economy

[Saradiel]

@Azizam, You said you are worried about the support for ISIS inside SL. Do you know that while MR supports BBS he is building mosque based universities by Saudi funded money in east? He is trying to play the both sides..

 

[samv]

Rajapaksa for president!

The UNP is a total mess, composed of a bunch of self-obsessed scum bags

I do hope the SL people have the wisdom not to vote for whatever presidential candidate they put up. Have they even decided? Maybe it'll be the stray cat at Siri Kotha this time?

 

[Darmashkian]

I think on average people in Sri Lanka don't have an analytical mind. They perceive things based on what was taught to them by their parents/community or what they see in popular media and often they look at things with a "black and white" perspective. This includes those who support MR and those who are against him. I for one never had any political affiliations but I've been called a MR supporter just because I was against Fonseka. I know many educated Sri Lanka who voted Fonseka because they saw MR as an authoritarian leader. It's the same educated class that is criticising every single thing done by MR which is extremely silly. For example, I see many people who mock highway projects. These type of people in my opinion won't succeed in creating a powerful opposition as they themselves are a group of clowns. Pro MR population on the other hand worships him as a group of sheep and as you said they are ready bear hardships while not criticising him for a second. As for them, I think their attitude stems from the traditional culture where it is considered taboo to criticize whoever above you, be it parents,teachers, leader etc. despite their actions.

It's true that Sri Lanka is an ultra-backward country even technologically. As you said, the country should aim to be futuristic instead of being stuck with some false sense of pride over the nation's history. Even today, most families consider having an internet connection as inviting devil whereas in developed countries, it is not optional but necessary to have an internet connection. There's only little to no effort by authorities or even people themselves to integrate technology into people's day-to-day lives. Education system is ultra primitive. Million things could be done in Sri Lanka at the moment instead of fighting over some silly issues like religion or ethnicity but unfortunately we see nothing.

"Even today, most families consider having an internet connection as inviting devil "

But why do they think like that?? Is it due to lack of awareness. And is this phenomenon limited to the rural areas or is it present in the Urban areas too?

 

[Saradiel]

Rajapaksa for president!

The UNP is a total mess, composed of a bunch of self-obsessed scum bags

I do hope the SL people have the wisdom not to vote for whatever presidential candidate they put up. Have they even decided? Maybe it'll be the stray cat at Siri Kotha this time?

Let UNP be a mess, who cares? what if SL is a mess? that is the prob! SL is a bigger mess


1. මහින්ද ඇති කරපු එක අළුත් කර්මාන්තයක් කියන්න... ලංකාවේ තාමත් තියෙන්නේ ඒ කාලේ යූ එන් පී එක ඇති කරපු කර්මානත්ම නේද?

2. මහින්ද ගේ හොඳ ආර්ථික කළමනාකරණයට උදාහරණයක් දෙන්න.

3. කියන්න මහින්ද විදේශ සේවා, ආර්ථිකය පැත්තෙන් කරලා තියෙන දේවල්

Lets engage in meaningful discussion

 

[samv]

Rajapaksa for president!

Let UNP be a mess, who cares? what if SL is a mess? that is the prob! SL is a bigger mess


1. මහින්ද ඇති කරපු එක අළුත් කර්මාන්තයක් කියන්න... ලංකාවේ තාමත් තියෙන්නේ ඒ කාලේ යූ එන් පී එක ඇති කරපු කර්මානත්ම නේද?

2. මහින්ද ගේ හොඳ ආර්ථික කළමනාකරණයට උදාහරණයක් දෙන්න.

3. කියන්න මහින්ද විදේශ සේවා, ආර්ථිකය පැත්තෙන් කරලා තියෙන දේවල්

Lets engage in meaningful discussion

You keep asking the same old questions.

Tell me this.... is there a better option than Mahinda at present?

Ranil Wickramasinghe? Mangala Samaraweera? That new JVP leader (can't remember his name at present but he is fat, ugly and as dumb as the rest of the JVP scum bags)?

I do hope Rajapaksa wins and takes a huge dump on all the naysayers. But then again, you never know how the electorate will decide.

 

[Azizam]

"Even today, most families consider having an internet connection as inviting devil "

But why do they think like that?? Is it due to lack of awareness. And is this phenomenon limited to the rural areas or is it present in the Urban areas too?

When they think of Internet, mobile phones or anything related to technology they think of evil. In the case of internet they think of pornography, scams, abuse by perverts etc.

 

[Azizam]

@Azizam, You said you are worried about the support for ISIS inside SL. Do you know that while MR supports BBS he is building mosque based universities by Saudi funded money in east? He is trying to play the both sides..

Unfortunately yes. Please don't get me wrong I don't like Mahinda or any political party/leader in SL. MR right now is playing with fire. This problem has the potential to be the next major war in Sri Lanka unless appropriate steps are taken to curb it.

 

[Saradiel]

You keep asking the same old questions.

Tell me this.... is there a better option than Mahinda at present?

Ranil Wickramasinghe? Mangala Samaraweera? That new JVP leader (can't remember his name at present but he is fat, ugly and as dumb as the rest of the JVP scum bags)?

I do hope Rajapaksa wins and takes a huge dump on all the naysayers. But then again, you never know how the electorate will decide.

Because you people always fail to answer that question

At the moment anyone is better than MR. Considering the situation this country is in, especially international relations Ranil is a better option than MR.
But i would rather prefer MR as president and a UNP government. At least we will have better economic management and better international relations

You dont hope for victories, you justify victories which you couldnt even after using large fonts. This country is not only yours for you to destroy, ours as well!

 

[samv]

Because you people always fail to answer that question

At the moment anyone is better than MR. Considering the situation this country is in, especially international relations Ranil is a better option than MR.
But i would rather prefer MR as president and a UNP government. At least we will have better economic management and better international relations

You dont hope for victories, you justify victories which you couldnt even after using large fonts. This country is not only yours for you to destroy, ours as well!

Exactly how is "anyone better than MR"?

So you are a Ranil Wickremasinghe supporter? Figures

Does your blood boil to realize that Mahinda is running the country and that he will probably win the next Presidential elections as well?

Does it give your diarrhoea? Judging by how you've been going on through the history of your posts you seem to have an acute case of kiri panugaya when it comes to politics.

You are more than welcome to get some placards and run around Fort Railway station shouting and screaming in the hot sun. Don't forget the loudspeakers and the bath packet crowd you can easily bring in on a few three wheelers.

I just remembered this twat's name.

As for victories, Rajapaksa has been pissing all over the UNP and Ranil Wickremasinghe.

Aney pau, Gihin choo karapan.

 

[Saradiel]

Unfortunately yes. Please don't get me wrong I don't like Mahinda or any political party/leader in SL. MR right now is playing with fire. This problem has the potential to be the next major war in Sri Lanka unless appropriate steps are taken to curb it.

If it has potential to become a disaster in SL so should not we take actions and prevent it? why let MR to play with fire?
i am not saying you are a MR supporter but then why you detest ppl who criticise MR?

Between machan i am looking for your feedback on the questions i raised

 

[Saradiel]

Exactly how is "anyone better than MR"?

So you are a Ranil Wickremasinghe supporter? Figures

Does your blood boil to realize that Mahinda is running the country and that he will probably win the next Presidential elections as well?

Does it give your diarrhoea? Judging by how you've been going on through the history of your posts you seem to have an acute case of kiri panugaya when it comes to politics.

You are more than welcome to get some placards and run around Fort Railway station shouting and screaming in the hot sun. Don't forget the loudspeakers and the bath packet crowd you can easily bring in on a few three wheelers.

View attachment 142556

I just remembered this twat's name.

As for victories, Rajapaksa has been pissing all over the UNP and Ranil Wickremasinghe.

Aney pau, Gihin choo karapan.

what an intelligent comeback from the resident Mervin Silva!

Good that you track my posts. track yours as well. You are a disaster for SL in this forum itself, you make ppl hate SL. When you dont know the damage you do for SL in PDF itself how can one expect you to realise the damage this gover do?

Still could not find any industry started by MR or even a single example for good economic management?

 

[Saradiel]

Panic or Economic crisis

by Sstar Yesterday at 8:50 am
By Ahilan Kadirgamar

There is a political rush in Sri Lanka. The Budget Speech was made a month ahead of schedule, the Pope is to visit in January, and now Presidential Elections may be jammed in before or after that. Is this a moment of panic?

Is the ruling regime worried about losing its electoral base? Or is it concerned about a looming economic crisis?

The 2015 Budget, released on Oct 24, is an election budget. It has been made to please the voter base before the election. It consists of increases in state employment, subsidies for various constituencies, pay hikes, price reductions and generally attempts to address the economic discontent generated by the rising cost of living and the lack of decent incomes and employment. As with most election budgets, these proposals are neither sustainable nor ever meant to be sustained.

A deeper analysis of any budget should locate it within the broader economic policy trajectory in Sri Lanka. Despite the numerous hand-outs, the 2015 Budget does not shift from post-war economic policy regime constituted by financialisation, urbanisation and infrastructure development. Indeed, it is these neoliberal policies expanding the financial sector, promoting massive construction and bubble like real estate, that have contributed to the illusively high GDP growth rates to the benefit of a small elite class. And it is those policies that have resulted in massive inequalities and excluded large sections of our society from the national economy. The 2015 Budget is then an attempt to pacify the massive rural population and to an extent the urban poor in the run up to the elections.

Populist rural hand-outs

Even before the Budget Speech, the electricity price cuts and the handover of motorcycles to government officials shaped expectations of the Budget.

The election budget builds on the history of regimes in Sri Lanka that have depended on state employment and subsidies to ensure the support of the large rural vote base necessary for electoral success.

The 2015 Budget aims to provide massive employment to youth with Advanced Level qualification. Fifty thousand youth will be employed as teacher assistants and paid an allowance of Rs. 9,500 per month; they will be confirmed if they complete a degree in education within five years. Another 50,000 youth will be given six months public service training and paid a Rs. 8,000 allowance; on completion of training they will also be confirmed. The allure of state employment for rural youth has in the past been a strategy for patronage oriented election mobilisation.

Indeed, the 1.3 million-strong public service continues to be the secure route of employment for the rural population as existing alternatives, including precarious employment in the garment industry or migrant labour to the Middle East, are far less appealing. The Budget claims to have given a major pay hike for the public servants bringing their total income including the basic salary and cost of living allowance to Rs. 25,000. However, in reality, the total increase is merely Rs. 3,124 amounting to just 14.3 per cent. After years of agitation and rising costs of living this pay hike is more suited for election rhetoric than economic relief.

The total allocations in the Appropriation Bills from 2014 to 2015 have increased by 18 per cent. However, the allocations for the Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government have the highest increase of 58 per cent. Significantly, this massive increase is not reflected in the allocations for the Northern Provincial Council, which has increased only by 18 per cent. Unlike the Northern Provincial Council, the other Provincial Councils and the patronage politics they embody for the regime will become important for election mobilisation.

The Department of Divineguma Development, which has now absorbed Samurdhi, has a hefty allocation with plans to circulate more loans and provide subsidies. Numerous pension schemes have been proposed, for farmers and garment workers alike. The logic of these proposals is to placate the rural population that has been long ignored by policy makers.

Infrastructure development

Rather than recurrent expenditure, which includes salaries and subsidies, it is capital expenditure that is reflective of the direction of multi-year development programmes. Over the last many years the significant increase in capital expenditure has been for infrastructure and urban development. In the 2015 Budget, public investment in infrastructure, excluding the education and health sectors, is Rs. 576 billion, amounting to about a third of total revenue; public investment in roads and ports alone is Rs. 200 billion. Even for next year, not to mention throughout this decade, the expenditure on roads is much higher than all the hand outs for next year coming out of the Treasury Votes; public servants salary hike is Rs. 50 billion, the youth employment programme is Rs. 7 billion and the recruitment of 50,000 steachers is Rs. 4 billion.

According to the Budget, the construction industry “is growing at 17 per cent due to expanded investments in infrastructure as well as higher private investments in urban property development, housing, tourism facilities, new factories and other logistics.” The growth of the economy is clearly construction led growth. A real estate bubble centred on malls, hotels and a beautified Colombo has taken hold and there are few prospects for returns on investment from the massive construction investment in infrastructure.

On the other hand, starting with the 2014 Budget, there has been an increase in capital expenditure in education and health, amounting to Rs. 120 billion in the 2015 Budget. Investments have been characterised by upgrading of hospitals and the building of university townships and hostels. These investments while welcome, become questionable with the increasing talk of privatisation of education and healthcare, including efforts to commercialise education and expand medical tourism.

Dynamics of financial crisis

The major economic policy thrust in 2014 has been toward financial consolidation. Banks and finance companies are merged in the hope that they can raise larger debt in the international capital markets. Financialisation propelling capital flows, and absorbed in infrastructure and urban development, has been the engine of the high growth neoliberal development regime in place in the post-war era.

The Government has floated sovereign debt on the order of US$5 billion over the last five years, and commercial banks, including Bank of Ceylon, National Savings Bank, DFCC and Sri Lankan Airlines, have also floated dollar denominated debt totalling $2 billion in the international capital markets in the last two years. There have also been moves to promote the stock market in the post-war years; market capitalisation is now Rs. 3 trillion and net foreign inflows are Rs. 100 billion, making assets even more liquid and capable of melting into thin air. The Government is proud of the large foreign reserves nearing $10 billion necessary to cushion imports, but they fail to mention that these reserves are the result of high interest short-term debt subject to what Keynes referred to as the “animal spirits” of capital flight.

The other flows of foreign incomes necessary for Sri Lanka’s balance of payments are also on shaky ground. The projected foreign earnings from tourism this year are only $2.5 billion. In fact, hotel occupancy was down in 2012 pointing to the fickleness of the tourist industry. Hence, in the 2015 Budget, there is increasing rhetoric and proposals to develop the IT sector for the future. In reality, Sri Lanka’s imports are sustained by migrant workers, garment workers and plantation workers. Migrant workers are projected to remit $7 billion this year and $15 billion by 2020. Such a remittance economy is also prone to shocks related to the political developments in the Middle East.

With financial liberalisation, what flows in can flow out as easily. And indeed, this has been the case for many countries during the Asian economic crisis of the late 1990s and the crisis in Southern Europe that began a few years ago. Capital inflow for infrastructure and urban development gives the semblance of prosperity, but quickly turns into crisis when the state is unable to roll over old debt with new debt in the face of capital flight; according to the Budget Estimates debt repayments this year totalled Rs. 840 billion with an additional Rs. 425 billion for interest payments. During such crisis, the Government, at the mercy of the IMF, will face strict conditions for bail out. Privatise, privatise, privatise will be the call.

The state will be compelled to privatise education and health to raise assets for debt payments. The question is whether this is that election
budget before a crisis?

(The writer is a member of the Collective for Economic Democratisation in Sri Lanka – www. economicdemocratisation.org)

 

[HeinzG]

Government is the highest authority in this country and if such a mafia exists they have the power to act against them. There is no authority that yield so much power within SL except government. Gover has every right and authority to take action.

If they threaten with power failures there is an electrical engineering unit in armed forces which gover can use. I remember during the period of strikes of CECB in 90s CBK threatened to use electrical engineers in forces if not the workers start work and they finally backed down and start working.

Obviously you are unaware of how the country is run. You should read more.

However as you have mentioned earlier, gov. has the power to act against them but it is not practical enough. These white collar criminals don’t leave many loop holes to allow them to be prosecuted.

Your suggestion for the non-cooperation of CECB engineers’ is rather foolish one. First there aren’t many EE in the army to man the entire work CECB engineer’s do. Second even then the army EE’s don’t have the experience or through knowledge to run the entire operation. Therefore even if your suggestion was used it will take months to get the main electrical grid online. Imagine months without electricity. Moreover my assumptions are based on the fact that CECB EE’s won’t damage the equipment on the power plants. If that’s the case it will take more time than earlier predicted.

Saying power plants are not working because of some electrical engineers is hard to believe. Please provide a source.

Luxapana & Wimalasurendra to conk out?

The Island

Ceylon Today | Private Power Mafia

CEB Overloaded With Electrical Engineers | The Sunday Leader

Is it because of the mafia that machinery in the two power plants are broken? Is that why gover sought Chinese assistance to fix the machines and now talks are underway to sell the power plant to Chinese company?

I do not know what exactly happened. But we can suspect that the above reason was the obvious cause for the break down. IMHO I do not believe that our Engineers’ are stupid enough to not to know how to operate coal power plants.

The point is for SL to develop we have to develop our manufacturing sector. The reason it is not developing is power is high price in SL. Apart from actual cost for power generation (which is naturally high), corruption, price of power is high which makes it difficult for manufacturing firms to operate in SL. When SLn firms are struggling to face the high price for power how can we expect foreign industries to invest in SL.

The main reason for the high energy cost in SL is that we use diesel for majority of our energy production. The diesel plants are under the mafia’s control. That is why they won’t allow any other cheap method to produce energy.

I don’t think norochcholai will make Diesel power plant redundant. Please provide a source for what you say.

I don’t have sources. But if Noroccholai was worked fine it would’ve introduced 900KW of power to the national grid despite the seasons of monsoon, therefore a stable power supply unlike the hydro power. It is because that the fluctuations in hydro power plants due to rain that we have to employ diesel power plants to supply the energy consumed by more than 90% of the country 24/7.

The matter here is this so called power plants do not work most of the time (the only ones done during MR’s time). And still it has not answered the energy problem in SL and energy is still high price. How can we develop an industrial base with this? Has this government invested enough in renewable energy production? Due to deforestation we are not yielding the maximum from our hydro power plants. .

Then what about the Kukuleganga? Why did it break down?

Don’t talk about deforestation. Mahaweli project was initially planned for 30 year period. But the politicos hurried it to within 5 years. I highly doubt that there was sufficient environmental studies were done before the accelerated Mahaweli.

We need a thorough plan to utilize, our diesel, hydro in a good combination. There are problems in coal usage in SL. These things need to be done in a good, thought out energy plan. It is the lack of such a move by this government I am pointing at.

Ultimately this gover built two power plants and both are running with problems and price of energy is getting higher. And why does gover going ahead with Sampur if that is not lucrative according to JHU.

Indeed the coal power plants have problems nowadays. Noroccholai should’ve started in early 1990s. But it wasn’t done. For that we are paying the prize. And don’t talk about the balance of diesel and hydro power. You can’t balance it. When there is no rain hydro power generation goes down then you have to use diesel power to compensate that; vice versa for the rainy season.

At least now you accept MR does massive amount of wastages. Good on that! May be because JHU is starting to talk about it.

The corruption and wastage was there in this government. There is no shame in hiding that. But what mattered is the MR gov. stance on the national issue. It hasn’t wavered an inch. No other party in SL has the same stance.

How is MR far better than any other government we had? (tell me in these sectors economy, national question, foreign relations, internal stability, law and order)?

What is their vision for this country? Answer these.

Economy

Sri Lanka is now a middle level income country. We stand high in many social and economic indicators. (Way ahead than our neighbors) We have sustained more than 7% of economic growth.

National question

SL has finished the war during the MR period. We have stood up to various foreign powers. We have not yield to the Tamil demands of separate state. We have not even yield to the TNA plea of full restoration of 13A.

Foreign relations

We have the backing of two permanent members of the UNSC. Indo-SL ties has grown exceptionally well. We have good relationship with our Asian neighbors. Only sang is we lost the Europe and US. That has to be considered as collateral damage.

Internal stability

Country is enjoying a relative peace and internal stability after 30 years of war.

Law and Order

It is functioning as before.

Past month we had two important events that relates to SL.

ඉන්දියාව initiated සේතු සමුද්‍රම්, what did your visionary leader do? We can lose a strategic benefit in our hands what did he or this gover do? Answer!

EU lift LTTE ban, the court was hearing it since 2010 what did your visionary leader do?

We were defeated in 3 resolutions at UN and SL is under massive anti SL propaganda.. what did your leader do?

I don’t know about Sethu Samudram what is your suggestion that we do? Beg India not to do it?

And about the EU ban. I do not know much what the gov. did. But I think SLG has produced the evidence and such things to EU court against the LTTE.

About the UN resolutions, there are UN resolutions against Israel every other day. Has it stop them from being prosperous? We should do the same.

Yes. We need highways/ expressways. That is why I said that is the only good.

We have a port at Colombo and an airport in Colombo. For the current capacity and even if it doubles the requirement still these can be used. You don’t build a port and an airport and stay with open mouth until traffic come. For factories to come up, we need to make cost of production a lot less. To do that we need strategies and plans which this gover hasn’t. We need internal stability which MR has destroyed by allowing BBS.

Well this is just the beginning we are just constructed the Southern highway and it has to be extended to H’tota. So does the rail. Therefore it takes some time to develop the area around the H’tota. However in future that area will develop, it is indeed necessary to expand the industry base from around Colombo area because the pollution, land and simple economics.

AFAIK we need to be self-sufficient in food before develop industry.

So you accept that MR has been a failure except war? That is why you are giving excuses for that. War too was not under MR that is why it was a success. GR and SF in military field and BR in diplomatic front did the job, MR was the least useful. Do you find the president governing every institution in all countries that has achieved economic growth?

If even MR is not credited for the war, why the hell you accuse him of other failures? Accuse someone else for those failures also like PB. When things go right MR don’t get the share. But things go bad it is always MR’s. What a logic.

Change the government.

If you cannot do that and want MR atleast stop when he does stupidities. That is the least expected from you.

Stand up and stop when gover does wastages, incidents like chris nonis affair and when Sajin Vaas and kshenuka destroy our foreign affairs and let the LTTE to win over us.

And bring who? Ranil and his cronies or the socialist JVP bunch? It is like changing the pillow for the headache. You really don’t understand the core of the problem.

If the current system persists then there is no difference that who is at the helm of the country it will be all the same. The difference will be we would choose someone else every 5 years.

Give me single example for new industry started by MR or UPFA gover, good economic management by MR and (this is a challenge

)

HEHE you talk like MR is spending his own money to start businesses. Now for your challenge, I present you these.

Sri Lanka : Nine new companies to start ventures in Sri Lanka industrial zone in Horana

 

[Azizam]

If it has potential to become a disaster in SL so should not we take actions and prevent it? why let MR to play with fire?
i am not saying you are a MR supporter but then why you detest ppl who criticise MR?

Between machan i am looking for your feedback on the questions i raised

I know what you're trying to say but my knowledge of internal politics of Sri Lanka is quite low when compared to you. What I value in MR is stability so before I answer I should gather some knowledge. At the same time it's not fair to ignore the improvements in infrastructure. My father visited Sri Lanka few months ago and he noticed the huge difference in Colombo alone. For instance, from the pictures of ordinary places, it's clear that Colombo has gotten a lot more cleaner which we should appreciate.

 

[Azizam]

Exactly how is "anyone better than MR"?

So you are a Ranil Wickremasinghe supporter? Figures

Does your blood boil to realize that Mahinda is running the country and that he will probably win the next Presidential elections as well?

Does it give your diarrhoea? Judging by how you've been going on through the history of your posts you seem to have an acute case of kiri panugaya when it comes to politics.

You are more than welcome to get some placards and run around Fort Railway station shouting and screaming in the hot sun. Don't forget the loudspeakers and the bath packet crowd you can easily bring in on a few three wheelers.

View attachment 142556

I just remembered this twat's name.

As for victories, Rajapaksa has been pissing all over the UNP and Ranil Wickremasinghe.

Aney pau, Gihin choo karapan.

For god's sake will you please use the normal font size? This makes my eyes get ebola. Even if you have a valid point your insane font size will only make people ignore it.