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Featured Article: Riding on people’s back

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Tuesday, 01 May 2007

The price of fuel has been raised twice within the last few days. Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has announced that the price of one litre of petrol has been increased by Rs1 while price of one litre of diesel has been raised by Rs2. This price increase came into effect from the midnight of April 18.

Watching the increase of the fuel prices at frequent intervals and at such a high ratio, one wonders when there will be the next fuel price hike. But, the government leadership shirks its responsibility by explaining that the fuel price hike is due to the increase of price in the world market.

Ordinary people are unable to bear the economic burden any more. It is feared that with the price hike of fuel, the prices of other essential commodities too will go up automatically. There can be an increase in the cost of essential services.

The government does not seem to be able to provide any relief to the ordinary people. It does not seem to be able to honour its pledges to make the life easier to the common man.

The cost of living today is higher than it has ever been in the history of the country. While the inflation rate in other Asian countries is 5 %, it is more than 20% in Sri Lanka.

The government has miserably failed to take any constructive steps to control inflation. The impact of the inflation on the people is not a short term one. It has a long term effect on the people.

What relief can the government offer to these people?

TipAn English translation of the Editorial in Thinakkural, a Tamil daily, based in Colombo

Comments (1)add comment

Jay said:

Ceylon (now Srilanka) once ranked among the top countries in Asia with a high rate of literacy and fairly rich in natural resources has today become a very poor country depending on aid from the developed world. In Asia, it is perhaps ranked among the lowest in terms of economic development and has one of the highest poverty level. The value of its currency has fallen to the lowest point. Tourism sector which happened to be one of their top income earners has taken a nose dive to its lowest. It is a pity to see their international airport with no activity.

Besides the major Asian powers, countries like Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and others are making waves riding on the crest of their economic properity. Even the poorest of the poor like Laos, Cambodia with leadership changes are making headways with high emphasis placed on development. What is the difference. In all these countries, leaders are emphasising on rule of the law, a fair, equal and just legal system, a sound education and good governance for all the people, irrespective of whatever their origins (people from other countries come & work in these countries and a good number of them have opted for citizenship as well) and nothing more. It is the quality of leadership. Srilanka never had a leader with a vision or a leadership which had the country's progress at heart.

It is therefore no wonder for the Srilankan government riding on people's back. The people in the south has never been able to produce a leader with a vision.
2007-05-08 10:26:56

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