An eventful New Year

A New Year is a chance for a fresh start, a time to evaluate the good, bad and ugly, and to find ways to make things better for individuals as well as the country in general.

Perhaps the most important place for Sri Lankans to start is in improving tolerance and understanding among different religious and ethnic communities. During the past few months lots of hurtful rhetoric has been hurled at minority communities that culminated in the attack on the Fashion Bug store and the removal of Halal from consumer goods. Issues have been manufactured where none existed and insecurities created when reassurance was needed.

Such polarised events have had one silver lining. More and more moderates are raising their voices to counter extremism in all its insidious forms. Moderate Buddhist priests and laymen alike have started to point out that if Sri Lanka risks another ethnic war, then it is irrefutably the fault of the current generation. Peaceful protests are being planned and carried out while social media has become the platform for young people to voice a call for peace and moderation.

These tenuous beginnings have to be reinforced and protected in the coming year. The Sinhala and Tamil New Year, was in a way, targeted by groups that called for people to boycott Muslim stores in their festive shopping sprees. However, if the long snarls of traffic are to be believed a large number of Sinhalese have not harkened to these words – an undoubted positive. Even the leadership has ramped up the call for unity resulting in a dimming of extremist speeches ahead of the New Year.

From an economic perspective worries over cost of living will be felt more during the New Year and Government policies to increase exports, provide support to small and medium enterprises as well as manage debts will remain in the limelight. This is especially crucial as the Government heads into elections later this year.

Fuelling a resurgence of economic growth will also be a focal point as debts increase to Rs. 6 trillion, according to the Central Bank Annual Report. The Central Bank Governor was optimistic about the country growing at 7.5% in 2013 but the Asian Development Bank (ADB) put the number at a more moderate 6.8%. Swinging the development pendulum towards the private sector has also gained more focus with fears over public credit crowding out the private sector gaining ground.

Rebalancing public expenditure, especially after reports that the Government overlooked Rs. 57 billion in taxes on vehicle permits, is another point. Sri Lanka continues to have massive governance issues with little being done to stamp out corruption and wastage. Following the New Year the public have to brace themselves for increase electricity prices and bus fares but little has been done to stem the losses of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and Ceylon Electricity Board, which has posted some Rs. 105 billion in losses for 2012.

When September rolls around the Government will have to face polls in the north, which will return reconciliation to the frontline of public discussion. Ensuring free and fair elections and allowing the people in the north to exercise their franchise free of fear and intimidation while genuinely addressing their grievances will go a long way to make their New Year a fruitful one.

With so much on the ‘to do’ list, Sri Lanka can look forward to an eventful New Year.