Vistas of calamities, poverty due to ill-planning,mismanagement

 RUSHDI AFFAN

COLOMBO: Though there are claims by the government politicians that there is a drastic improvement in the standard of life when compared to the state of the nation during the same period last year when there were scarcities shortages, long queues for petrol and gas resulting I. Fee losses of lives, it should be noted that it is not the true picture as the temporary relief from shortages and queues, steady supply of electricity, and reduction of prices are not proportionate enough with the situation and prices that existed before and after Covid outbreak.

They increased prices of milk food for example by thousands of rupees and reduced by a less than hundred rupees in many instances. The same applies to gas as well. They did a threefold increase of the price that the consumers paid before and during  Covid, and the reduction granted was not substantial in keeping with the pre-crisis period.  We need to look at the unbearable increase of the electricity tariff by more than 60% against the consent of the PUCSL which is the authority to determine any increase of the unit electricity rate. This was protested by the Chairman and the members of the PUCSL, but the government pressurised a couple of members to resign and  in the absence of the Chairman of the PUCSL who resisted any increase, appointed their stooges to the Commission and illegally revised the rate when the Chairman was abroad. There is a Court case pending with regard to this matter.

The parents find it very difficult to buy school text books, stationery, uniforms and a decent pair of shoes to their school-going children as the prices have sky rocketed. The school transportation cost too have risen many folds. They have borrowed money pawning their jewelry to meet the expenses for this basic requirement for their children. The country and the people have been transformed to a nation of debtors with the future  looking very gloom.

The price of essential medicines is another aspect that should be looked up as health of the people is vital if we are to be a developed nation by 2048 as promised by our President. Most of the government hospitals do not have essential medicines, and the patients are handed over the prescriptions to buy from pharmacies. If you can afford, you buy it, if not say goodbye to this world looks to be  their policy. Several vital operations have been postponed as a result of lack of important life saving medicines.

The stabilisation that is talked of now is welcome and that too is as a result of  the IMF and other bilateral loans that were granted which should be settled, of course, with interest. The debt resettlement alone will involve a major portion of our revenue from tourism and foreign remittances from expatriate workers. The export sector is not doing well and the loans received are used for consumption and recurrent expenditure and not to divert for improved production for exports.

The private sector and state employees are heavily taxed with PAYE and withholding taxes, and the interest rates have gone up. The professionals find it difficult to maintain a decent standard of living and as a result,  most of them are migrating with their families. This would result in a brain drain that will in the long run impact the country.

All these were the result of poor thinking and ill-planning and the decision of the legislators who came to power with the promise of vistas of prosperity but sadly what we experience now is vistas of calamities and poverty and those responsible for this state of affairs are making themselves unaccountable for their misdeeds!