“Sri Lanka is a nation in peril”

Former Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) Chairman Chandra Jayaratne is of the opinion that divisive forces are prevailing in Sri Lanka and that consequently, the nation is in peril. He opined that its leaders are fighting to win battles, but losing the war for sustainable peace and prosperity for all, with equality and justice.

In an interview with The Bottom Line, he affirmed that “bad men and women” are in governance while “good men and women” are silent. “Lacking visionary leaders is a crying shame,” he asserted, adding that the blue chips must lead the way and be role models.

Jayaratne, who held the posts of Eagle Insurance Managing Director, Ceylon Tobacco Director and PERC Director, has also held the post of director in several other institutions. An advocate of the Gandhian principle and non-violence, he also works closely with Sarvodaya.

He believes that the alternate option for Sri Lanka now is to become an independent region of India, and try and get its act together in the next 12 years under the guidance of the visionary Indian leadership.

Checklist for politicians and the private sector

• Benchmark the comparative positions 20 years ago and now in India and Sri Lanka
  
• Levels of national identity and national commitment
  
• Capability of people
  
• Indices of good governance, competitiveness, ease of doing business, and corruption
  
• State of national infrastructure
  
• State of technology in business and public service
  
• Innovation and creativity of business and people
  
• Levels of wasteful expenditures (e.g. on war), non-value adding public spends
  
• Key macro and fiscal indicators
  
• Levels of public debt
  
• Key national risks
  
• Law, order and national security indices
  
• National sustainability indices
  
• Human development and gross national happiness indices
  
• Societal values and norms
  

Q: Can you recall some of the key challenges during your tenure as CCC Chairman?

A: The main challenges were the transformation of the Chamber to meet long-term issues than immediate/short-term issues, to align the Chamber with the global and national challenges rather than local /membership challenges, and strive to transform national policy and consequential operating framework, to a vision for the nation and its people, rather than narrow individual interests

Q: How did the CCC respond to these challenges under your stewardship? What new initiatives did you implement?

A: The four key initiatives that I implemented were to develop a long-term vision, a set of core values placing the interests of the nation and its people first, medium-term goals and way forward action strategies, seeking growth prosperity and the well-being of the nation, its people and the private sector. This was done through ‘The Vision 2020.’

It aimed to support the national leadership by submission of strategy papers with detailed action plans to transform the broken down “house” of Sri Lanka to one with the following:

• A firm ground of a constitutional and legal framework assuring effective sovereignty of the people, their freedom and equality irrespective of ethnicity, religion, caste, capability, wealth and place of residence.
  
• A solid foundation of peace and harmony.
  
• National infrastructure, housing, transportation, education, health, environment, legal, governance structure, law and order and efficient macro economic management as the ten pillars.
  
• Effective communications and effective implementation as the key cross bars of the roof structure.
  
• Sri Lankan identity being the roof.
  
• Accepted societal norms being the plaster and binding glue.
  
• The Chamber capability, organisation, approach and codes of conduct be transformed and aligned to the above.
  
• Appointing an independent and capable CEO (emulating the CII India) and establishing an Economic Intelligence Unit within the Chamber.
  

Q: When you were the Chairman, what kind of role did the CCC play when it came to peace, economic development and social responsibility?

A: Some of the key initiatives included peace, economic development, and social responsibility.

For peace, ‘Sri Lanka First’ was formed as the private sector independent initiative for the promotion of peace.

Following the ceasefire in the north east, the peace initiative included promoting trade and services distribution, technology transfers, capability development, access to finance and business networks, and 17th Amendment-led good governance, facilitating peace and harmony.

In the case of economic development, there was the National Education Reforms Strategy agreed to by all stakeholders including the JVP, establishing a close trade/investment links with India via CII India, including promotion desks in CII offices in South India and promoting Indo Lanka Free Trade, enactment of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, changes to improve the independence of the Monetary Board, and enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the national infrastructure through private public partnerships.

Further there were reforms in public financial, energy and legal sectors, the focus was on effective economic diplomacy, and promoting new growth opportunities through private sector initiatives in the fisheries sector, care services-leveraged tourism and investments targeting the South Indian market (goods and services).

In the case of social responsibility, private sector CSR was promoted through annual CSR Awards, Private Sector Charter and a Code of Ethics and Conduct for the Private Sector were adopted, and it was arranged for societal leaders to interact with business leaders.

Q: You have been a strong advocate for greater private sector role in national issues such as peace, educational reforms, poverty alleviation, healthcare and social responsibility. How would you assess the private sector role thus far?

A: It is with a great sense of sadness that I record my failure to establish a firm foundation for the private sector-led consistent approach to national value-adding initiatives in peace, effective macro-economic management, educational reforms, good governance, poverty alleviation, healthcare and social responsibility.

The following key initiatives which were commenced have not taken a firm foundation within the Chamber or in the private sector:

• Adherence to the core values of the nation and its people – This is being ignored
  
• Peace – The breakdown of peace to a current war situation and tearing up of the Ceasefire Agreement
  
• Dash Board Tracking System of implementation with accountability of the commitments in the national budget and national development strategies of government
  
• Effective and open dialogue, debate and critique of national strategies and reforms
  
• Effective implementation of the Fiscal Responsibility Act and assuring the independence of the Monetary Board
  
• Effective implementation of the 17th Amendment
  
• Effective implementation of the National Educational Reforms Agenda agreed to by all stakeholders
  
• Reforms in public service, financial and energy sectors – These have been abandoned
  
• Investment and trade promotions with India – They have not been effectively implemented
  
• The special economic zone in Trincomalee to serve the opportunities for trade and services to South India – This has not been established.
  

Q: What suggestions do you have in terms of the private sector’s future role in these issues?

A: The private sector must commit to the following fundamental priorities:

• Place the nation and its people as the first priority
  
• Always seek the realisation of the desired long-term national vision
  
• Demand transparency and corruption-free good governance
  
• Be the courageous independent voice of society, seeking good governance, equity and meritocracy
  
• Abide by the Private Sector Charter and Code of Ethics and Conduct
  

Q: Can the blue chips play the role that you advocate? Can they give leadership in a corporate sense or CEOs individually in their personal capacity?

A: Certainly yes, the blue chips must lead the way and be ‘role models’ for others to follow, and be the catalysts for unity of action and long-term visionaries striving for national and private sector transformation. Unless they do so, the government and the ‘Bad Guys of Governance’ will exploit the whole private sector and the nation itself.

Q: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the private sector?

A: The strength of the private sector is its dominance in the national economy by contributing over 50% of growth, its ability to be independent, transparent and demand justice, equality and good governance.

The weakness is its focus on the short-term, lacking visionary leaders with courage, and being divided and driven by network alliance led links in seeking competitiveness, rather than effective governance led operating environments, where transparency, good governance, equity and meritocracy prevails.

Q: Your assessment of the role of civil society in national issues?

A: Civil society must build effective partnerships with the private sector, media and academic/professional community and collectively strive to uphold effective good governance, peace, harmony and equality led sustainable national prosperity.

Q: What would you recommend as the best course for private sector and civil society in addressing national issues?

A: To agree on a common agenda on national vision, values, goals and strategies and assure, by collective stakeholder action, the delivery of effective good governance to realise the vision.

Q: You have been a vocal campaigner for good governance in the public sector as well as corporate governance. How would you assess the degree of good governance in these two key sectors?

A: Unfortunately, the state of good governance has deteriorated with post-independence. An accelerated deterioration is witnessed in recent years, especially in the areas of sovereignty of people, transparency, levels of corruption, nepotism, basic freedoms and rights of people and above all, law and order aspects of governance.

Q: What best practices would you recommend?

A: We in Sri Lanka should benchmark with India, our nation, our governance structures and its effectiveness/efficiency/economy, the strength of the private sector , capability of people, values and norms, competitiveness, and national identity and try to emulate, network and benefit through closer and effective links with India.

Q: What are you own personal thoughts about Sri Lanka’s current status of development/prosperity/progress?

A: I now identify Sri Lanka as a, ‘nation in peril’, where divisive forces prevail. Most leaders have lost their sense of direction in reaching the vision desired by the majority. They cannot see the woods for the trees, and are fighting to win battles and are thus losing the war for sustainable peace and prosperity for all with equality and justice.

Poor macro economic management is evident. The nation is isolated and alienated from nations and the international community, who were its true friends. The national resource allocations are not aligned to assure sustainable national progress, alleviation of poverty and elimination of regional disparities, essential improvements in national infrastructure and empowering people to become capable resources contributing to national prosperity.

‘Bad men/women’ are in governance and ‘good men and women’ are silent in the face of non-transparent, corrupt administrations taking away the freedoms and rights of people. This lack of visionary leaders is a crying shame.

Q: What are your views on Sri Lanka’s future potential? How could it be best harnessed effectively and efficiently?

A: Even after 60 years of independence, having failed to realise the national dream, an alternate option is for Sri Lanka to become an independent region of India. It can try and get its act together in the next 12 years, under the guidance of the visionary Indian leadership (national, governance, business, professional and societal), and thereafter regain independence in 2020, with a new prosperous peaceful, harmonious, equality honoured nation. It can make a new start, a new leaf, establish a new identity within embedded values and norms and above all, a new leadership (national, governance, business, professional and societal).