The National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE), the exclusive Chamber representing Sri Lankan Exporters, has expressed grave concern and disappointment over the failure of policy makers and responsible State institutions to resolve this disaster.

The Chamber predominantly points with dismay at the poor decisions, faulty assumptions, ineffective planning, sluggish responses and above all, the poor and weaker leadership itself that has helped to create this ill-fated condition.

Despite a set target to reach $ 20 billion export revenue in 2022, the Government has failed to maintain a regular supply of power and energy, completely disrupting the production process of this country.

Sri Lankan Exporters are facing extreme difficulties in continuing with their daily operations under these tragic circumstances and opting for generators have increased the cost of production.

The stark assessment that, time and time again those who were responsible for protecting and leading the nation have failed miserably to do either. One failure leading to another has created a mayhem which fractured the whole system leading to massive social unrest.

The prolonged power cuts of 10-13 hours impact both the general public and also the industries, causing them to suffer. The production cannot be planned properly and workers also cannot report to work with no transport.

Making things worse, with the high inflation and the cost of living becoming unbearable, the country is currently experiencing social unrest as people have no other option but to fight for their rights, with especially the children, old and the sick being affected badly, not to mention deprived of sleep.

NCE also laments the fact that the current crisis has arisen due to the abject failure of the policy makers and responsible State institutions in the power and energy sector to implement the projects for alternative power generation, over and above the capacity for hydropower generation, to meet the projected demand in terms of the Master Power Sector Plan, in respect of expanded production activities and domestic consumer demand.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The economic and social failure has turned Sri Lanka on its head.

“It is clear that responsible decision makers need to step up and act quickly to find ways to at least mitigate further disasters. There is much we don’t know about what happens next, but what we do know is that leadership is not where it should be and the system as it stands now is clearly unfit to resolve these matters.”

Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL), as an independent local organization that has been working in Sri Lanka for the past two decades with the mission to fight corruption, stands in solidarity with the people across the country who are mobilizing independently against the corrupt in a non-violent manner.   

TISL notes that the current situation in the country has been caused by decades of misuse and mismanagement of public resources on a large scale, systemic corruption coupled with kleptocracy, and an overall lack of transparency and accountability in both governance as well as in the public service sector.  

TISL also strongly condemns the attempts of the President and the administration to stifle the constitutionally enshrined freedoms of expression and lawful assembly of the citizens through the use of emergency regulations, curfew and social media blackouts. The right to freedom of expression is an important counterbalance to corruption in the country. The people have now delivered their message loud and clear. The dormant voices of the people of this country have joined in unison to create a powerful shockwave that might have taken most of those in power by surprise.  

Sri Lankans should be vigilant at this point as chaos at the highest levels affords the opportunity for political maneuvering and for those with ulterior motives to rise to power. This is as true in Sri Lanka as in other countries – in times of strife, those who rise to power can have further corrupt influence, devastating our beloved motherland.  

It is important to recognize the fact that Sri Lanka has been on this path to economic turmoil since gaining independence in 1948, due to corruption. TISL’s work in Sri Lanka has shown that those in power employ a number of varying tactics to support their corrupt activities. Structural weakening of accountability frameworks, interference with the public service, abuse of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), rampant abuse of public resources, siphoning away of public funds, cronyism and nepotism are but a few ways in which successive governments have plundered the wealth of this nation and brought the country to its knees.  

If a country’s policies, laws and systems are changed for the benefit of those in power and not for the country, that is identified as a captured state. However, the fact that there is now a common understanding as a nation that eradicating corruption is essential for the country to overcome this crisis, provides Sri Lanka a great moment and hope of transformation. 

TISL calls for the President and the current administration to bow to the will of the people. TISL also calls on the law enforcement authorities to act independently in order to ensure that those in power are held accountable for their actions and brought before the law. They must also safeguard the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the people and impose serious penalties against officers of the law who carry out their own form of vigilante justice.   

The people are watching.  

People have gathered themselves in large numbers at the entrance of the Presidential Secretariat demanding the stepping down of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

MIAP

People have staged a protest in front of former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella’s house in Kandy.

Police have launched a tear gas attack to dissolve the protest.

MIAP