New year, old problems

Monday, 2 January 2017 09:58 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A new year has dawned with new expectations and new goals. For Sri Lanka it is a new chapter to build on its opportunities and realise its potential and the stakes are higher than they have ever been.

The year 2016 has been inked into history. It continued to unravel the promises of the Unity Government which toppled the Rajapaksa regime – which now seems like a distant memory. After two years in power, the change for which the people so ravenously craved still seems just beyond reach, with the main benefit of the new Government seeming to be that it is not the old one.

President Maithripala Sirisena and Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe had much to sort out and achieve. Yet it seemed the year was marked by a number of scandals, allegation of corruption and indecisive policymaking. The fresh frontier that was formed in politics with the coalition of UNP and SLFP has swiftly rolled back, casting concerns in the minds of ordinary Sri Lankans.

Many members of the public would acknowledge that key pledges made by the Sirisena administration are yet to be fully achieved. The National Government promised an end to corruption, nepotism, politicisation, cronyism and favouritism yet many would insist these goals have not been fully met.

Top politicians of the former regime breeze on with life unscathed by any serious graft investigations. Outstanding investigations into the murders of Lasantha Wickrematunge and Wasim Thajudeen have continued to stall despite the exhumation of their corpses. Institutions critical for good governance have been given new faces but have failed to win public confidence.

The young, dynamic professional and competent people the public hoped would come to the forefront have remained in the shadows. Without the right people, in the right places, putting the right systems in place the Government may not have the competence to take bold steps that are essential for Sri Lanka’s economy.

Whether it is the Megapolis, liberalising the economy, encouraging foreign investment or forming a new Constitution, it is imperative that the Government finds the right people for the job. Key projects such as Megapolis are at the core of the Government’s development agenda and have to be driven forward with clear goals, agendas and public participation that have been strongly absent so far. Only then can they achieve sustainable development. Appointing officials and companies that lack experience and the common touch could make such projects hollow.

As a responsible Government, there also has to be better economic management. Ad hoc tactics such as the imposition of increased VAT and further borrowing from foreign donors while reeling from a poor balance of payments are questionable moves that have not only deteriorated the Government’s support base but have also galvanised the so-called Joint Opposition. Historical lows for the Sri Lankan economy – in terms of growth and exchange rate – are thus far all the Unity Government has to show for its development ambitions. With 2017 already showing signs of a hard year, the Government will have its work cut out to maintain capital investment and public expenditure at the same rates. All indications so far are that the Government will take the easy road of more borrowing and kick the can further down the road.