Nimal Siripala revs up Commonwealth Biz Forum

Thursday, 14 November 2013 01:17 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Woos foreign delegates, assuring political stability
Likens Mahinda Rajapaksa to Lee Kwan Yew and Mahathir Mohamed; says their visionary political leadership made Singapore and Malaysia successful
Comment “SL has a strong Government and fragile Opposition” triggers laughter among Forum participants

For locals present there was a sense of anxiety whether Leader of the House Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva would convert the Commonwealth Business Forum yesterday into a session in Parliament but forceful and at times witty remarks kept a packed audience focused and also entertained. Speaking at the first session titled ‘Sri Lanka: 21st Century Business Destination’ on Day 2 of the CBF at the Cinnamon Grand, Minister de Silva was candid and if not for gaming mogul James Packer’s speech that followed, the political talk would have buzzed. At one point his remark that “Sri Lanka has a strong Government and a fragile Opposition” drew applause from the audience followed by laughter when he said, “I want a strong Opposition for checks and balances but what can we do when the Opposition is weak?” while assuring that the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government would be in power for decades on people’s mandates.

The Leader of the House prepared the audience on what was coming when he said he would be unconventional in proving the theme of the session. “Why are Singapore and Malaysia successes? Once upon a time they too had similar advantages like Sri Lanka but it was the visionary leadership of Lee Kwan Yew and Mahathir Mohamed that changed the destiny of those two nations,” Minister de Silva opined. “Today we have the same,” he said in reference to what he described as the “vibrant and visionary leadership” of President Rajapaksa. The defeat of terrorism was one of the key achievements linked to this leadership, he added. “In post-war Sri Lanka the President has the vision of nation building and economic empowerment,” Minister de Silva added at the forum, at which External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris and Deputy Investment Promotion Minister Faiszer Mustapha were also present. “All are blessed to have such a leader with strong vision, commitment and decision making,” he said. Foreign delegates, who were present in large numbers, were also told that a strongpoint of Sri Lanka was its political stability. To drive home the impact of political instability, the Leader of House, pointed to the current constitutional crisis faced by the Maldives, a Commonwealth nation. “Because they imported inputs from the West such as from Canada, the Maldives Constitution is a mess as they can’t elect a President,” de Silva said, adding that in Sri Lanka there is a permanent President and a two-thirds majority in Parliament. “Our Government has done so much good for the nation and this has ensured successive mandates from the people. This strong leadership will be intact for decades,” Minister de Silva added. He also said that fast-improving infrastructure was another key facet. “We borrowed and built infrastructure rather than waiting for our own funds,” he said, in addition to listing good workforce, high literacy rate and life expectancy as other advantages. Minister de Silva said the stability of the economy is well demonstrated by rising foreign inflows, higher GDP growth, per capita income and other indicators. “Our economy is expanding and the country’s balance sheet is better,” he added. “I must emphasise that your investments are guaranteed,” he said, referring to sovereign treaties with other countries and constitutional safeguards. “Due to negative media, there is an impression created that we are only going after casinos. I must say casinos are a just a drop in the ocean. We are pursuing a multi-sectoral approach when attracting FDIs,” Minister de Silva added. This and other factors should encourage foreign investors to make their decisions on Sri Lanka with conviction, comfort and confidence, emphasised the Leader of the House, urging delegates to forge mutually-beneficial partnerships with Sri Lankan counterparts.