FT VIEWTowards a sombre nation
Sri Lanka’s increasing alcohol consumption hit headlines on Friday and is likely to cause some discomfort to officials as they strive to explain away the rise despite strict Government policies. This has also encouraged people to look at alcohol and cigarette consumption from a holistic aspect, including the need to raise awareness and keep young people away from bad habits.
Deal with the whole problem
Sri Lanka’s roads are getting more dangerous, particularly for children. The recent efforts by authorities to make school transport safer for children has grabbed public attention and while most of the feedback has been positive, there is a grave need for sustainability.
Most people were shocked when Police revealed that 225 schoolchildren were killed in road accidents last year and 4,100 were injured. In 2010 the numbers were marginally less with 223 children killed and 3,400 injured. What was even more startling was that even with these large numbers, it took an unfortunate accident in Mt. Lavinia to provoke the public censure that led to the authorities taking action.
Fight for everyone
ON the surface, trade unions have won again. The Post Master General has agreed to resign and the protests by postal trade unions have come to a halt. However at this point, one is forced to question whether the result is best for the entire country and the future.
A plea for prisoners
Twenty- four people have been injured in prison clashes over the past two days. While this is hardly a large number for a society that seems to be inured to violence, the ability to ignore these reoccurring incidents is diminishing. They beg for attention and possibly solutions through a more efficient prisons system.
Company heads positive of 2012 boom
TOP business leaders are bullish about Sri Lanka even though they see a lacklustre year globally, which is an interesting paradox that makes the country unique as it battles on post-war optimism. Sri Lankan businesses and their leaders are optimistic of prospects for 2012, whilst they are also confident the country will progress in the New Year, according to key findings of a CEO survey done by MTI Market Research.
Economy’s outlook: Optimism and challenges
When the country’s private sector began the New Year, the Central Bank via its Road Map had an emphatic message. In 2012 and beyond the country will deliver high growth (over 8%) despite global downturn. This, as well as some of the other pronouncements and targets set by Governor Nivard Cabraal, was viewed as “highly ambitious and overly confident.”
Peace beyond a Senate
The presence of Indian External Affairs Minister S. Krishna has brought the issue of power devolution to the limelight again and motivated the Government to present the idea of a Senate as a solution. The idea seems to be to establish a Senate with academics and officials to act as an advisory body for the Government and also to bridge the Central Government with the Provincial Councils.
A plea for life
THE Police Department is to install 100 more Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in Colombo to enhance surveillance, prevent crimes and detect persons who violate traffic laws. After the shocking school van accident, the state of Sri Lanka’s roads has hit headlines again, but the solution seems far off.
A total of 108 CCTV cameras worth Rs. 350 million were installed in 2010 in 28 locations and they are monitored by a special unit from the Mounted Police Division building situated in Olcott Mawatha. Clearly this and Presidential reports on accidents is not enough and the Government is splurging on more, but the results can only be found by the masses.
Accidents are rising alarmingly in Sri Lanka. As a nation that is aiming to become a developed country in record time, emphasis on the health of its citizens is important. Raising the standards of living in the country is directly linked to the physical and mental wellbeing of the people and the accident statistics of the nation prove otherwise.
Accidents of all types – including home accidents – are on the increase, according to figures from the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL), Colombo. The categories of accidents include road, train, home, medical and occupational accidents and injuries resulting from violence such as bomb blasts, gunshots and stabbing, as well as homicidal and suicidal actions.
Even though the end of the war was a huge relief, the untimely deaths in Sri Lanka have not decreased significantly. With the Government slashing taxes in 2010, there was a huge influx of vehicles into the country – so much so that even motor traders were admitting that the situation was getting out of hand as cars and other conveyances clogged up roads, increasing accidents. Earlier in 2011, Government data showed that imports of all types of vehicles to Sri Lanka rose by a staggering 75.9% to 359,243 in 2010.
Road traffic accidents account for the majority of the sudden deaths recorded by the Chief Judicial Medical Officer, Colombo. Most of the post-mortems conducted by the Institute of Legal Medicine and Toxicology (ILMT) relate to accidents and more than 50% of these are the results of road accidents. There has been a significant increase in such accidents since the beginning of the year. On average, 600 medico-legal examinations are conducted each month, of which around 350 cases are caused by road traffic injuries, it was reported.
This gives a bird’s eye view of the problem. Lack of discipline and attention while driving has given birth to a problem that is distinctly unhealthy. Interestingly, it is not driving under the influence of alcohol that is causing these accidents, but indiscipline and high stress levels. The suppression of stress creates aggression on the roads that result in loss of life and limb.
Discipline, public awareness and practice of simple manners on the part of the drivers as well as the pedestrians can avert many of these untimely deaths and injuries. The economic and social costs behind these numbers have not been traced, but it is imperative that people use their driving privileges more wisely for the benefit of all.
Prove worthiness
The decision to give employees of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) a salary hike of 25 per cent despite the mammoth losses that they are already making is an unfair and counterproductive step.
EPF by the people for the people
THE proposed amendments to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) have created a much-needed discussion forum on pension funds and their benefits, while also bringing several crucial points into the limelight.
Experts have pointed out that if the Government is genuinely keen on maximising returns of workers, then they need to exempt EPF earnings from tax and take a holistic view of the various pension funds in Sri Lanka. In a nutshell, even though the EPF, Employees Trust Fund (ETF), pension and gratuity exist, repeated taxing by the Government on all of them and any investments the pensioner might make on receiving them serve only to reduce their effect.
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