As I ponder over the New Year wish list, the first thing that comes to mind is for the reduction of the essential food items bill, which will bring a measure of relief to the lower and middle income wage earners. The Sri Lankan people end up spending a big slice of their monthly budget on the food bill, compared to other nations. Therefore, the Government is urged to prioritise this concern and implement plans to promote the local produce, so that our country will be self-sufficient in the future.
My fervent wish for 2018 is for our President to put a full-stop to the continuous plundering of the resources of our country and the misappropriation of funds in the state coffers by the VVIPS and their allies occupying the hot seats in the current administration. We do not want to see perpetrators of financial and other crimes, being hauled up by the law enforcement officers, merely as an eye wash to satisfy the public. There should be a permanent legal process in place to mete out justice and equal protection before the law to all the Sri Lankan citizens.
I also wish for long lasting political stability and for continuous peace and harmony among all communities in our little island.
If my wishes become a reality, Sri Lanka will be a better place to live and once again become the paradise isle.
My wish is for a civilized society! There are certain negative aspects which Sri Lanka needs to get rid of to be a civilized society. People throw even the smallest items of litter everywhere, enter into arguments or clashes over petty things, people address each other in a rude manner, improper communication not excluding private sector and those who do not behave decently in common places and public assets or at least glare at or intervene with others.
When we move around and live in this land, at times it looks like this country and its culture has been very much influenced with those low values and precarious features of some neighborhoods. South Asian countries are known to depict poor civilized features. Sri Lanka cannot afford to, and need not to continue in this way. After all, why should our country join the bandwagon for whatever that is unwanted and is appropriate for elimination and how did people of this country lose their authenticity, values, who were once decent and well mannered?
Currently, these values which should be developed and polished are buried, as people has competing and are concerned about paper qualification and not the best of education, and aiming for all that are material for a comfortable life – but poor in personal quality.
Out of the endless wish list, let’s pick some subtle ones that do not fall into the usual first priority list.
The mosquito menace is one. If terrorism can be wiped out, this too can be done, if the Government believes in it and is willing to do so. Yes, if they righteously stick to a plan. The dengue issue too is facing a blank solution, without proper drugs, though we heard of many positive talks which projected developments. Otherwise no one will prefer to visit Sri Lanka, when the neighborhood is irritating with mosquitoes.
Another issue is the alcohol addiction. Most of poverty stricken families, in urban and rural areas, women and children suffer from domestic violence when their fathers, who is the breadwinner, is addicted to alcohol. These sad stories are hardly addressed and given a systematic solution. Women and children’s rights turn out to be cumbersome and accessibility becomes another barrier for them.
Prosperity of a country is not just in monetary terms or in giant concepts. It comes with intention and commitment. Wish for a ‘reality’ and not a ‘dream’.
I would wish for a peaceful 2018, where all Sri Lankans would celebrate life in a special way. Law and justice should be equivalent to all individuals. Poverty should be minimised. All beggars who do not have proper means of shelter should be given a place of stay. Basic requirements should be given free of charge to low income earners. I believe that bribery and corruption could be lessened by poverty eradication. Also, education and job opportunities should be strengthened. Spiritual, religious and cultural values should be inculcated. All individuals should be equally accepted and their concerns should be carefully heard and addressed by higher authorities. People must be taught the importance of living in the present, rather than dwelling too much on the past or future. Indeed, my wish for 2018 is to see more happiness in all Sri Lankans.
In short, to make the bad signals into good, and good ones for better.
One thing among the items in the wish list is the prevailing exchange rates for main international currencies to drop. This will then cause a major change, resulting in lower import expenditure on our essentials, therefore have a better impact on country’s international trade and for a narrow balance of payments deficit. Still we can have exchange controls where people won’t overuse it, so there won’t be an excess demand over supply.
The other aspect is that country need to strengthen and make all the laws and regulations enforceable, and not just limited to documents. This should apply from safeguarding environment, water resources, value addition to our exports in traditional or basic form, agriculture practices, and prevention of killings/accidents for our wildlife and relevant laws for punishable offences where most of internal issues have stemmed from including the acute kidney disease, climate change, harm to forests and wild life.
Wish all the best!
The country needs a miracle in 2018 to make a turnaround for a steady all-rounder path. This should not be just economically, but also spiritually – one that is conducive for all living beings including animals and the environment of this nation. Living in harmony with each other and nature, in a safe and secure environment should be top priorities.
Sri Lanka has had enough of internal shocks and there should be a full stop for this. With the prevailing situation, the country has gone from bad to worse. It is doubtful at this rate whether the situation can be put back in place. This requires undergoing a significant transformation, considerable time and the correct thinking. Hence, it may take several years or decades, if improvement is to be achieved and sustained. The time factor creates lot of opportunity cost and concerns. So, as the exit strategy what else we can hope for, other than a miracle?
What is best for the country is what we wish for. This country urgently needs the role of a leader who can reverse the prevailing governing culture for the better, wiping out the malpractices and corruption. This respective leader’s personality should be firm and diplomatic, where civil society can live and prosper without fear and instability.
Further such a leader should be knowledgeable with practical insights as to financial and social aspects of this country, unlike those who governed and did not know about their subject. This person should be diplomatic in handling international relations to safeguard territorial integrity of Sri Lanka without undue external intervention of other countries. This should also be extended to international trade. The reason is that our international presence seems to be smaller than our geographical area.
Due to this we have not still come into the limelight for the things we ought to. Export and tourism trade are areas where potential markets have not still heard about ‘Sri Lanka.’ The leader should be able to tap the small things that can be turning points for continued development and enhancing living standards. Let’s wholeheartedly wish that our sincere hopes come true on behalf of our country.
What’s on your wish list for Sri Lanka in 2018? We have come to the end of the year 2017. We will be waiting to welcome 2018. We can’t deny the fact that peace is the need of the hour. If we achieve that, then we will able to achieve our other goals in an easy way. As Sri Lankans, our main wish is to see all Sri Lankans living in harmony like brothers and sisters of one family. Therefore, peace in the country is the need of the hour.
Thereafter, as a country, we will achieve higher rates in terms of the gross domestic product (GDP), higher life expectancy, decrease in the cost of living, greater achievements in the fields of religion, education and cultural values.
One of the most vital objectives is none other than eradicating bribery and corruption. If we achieve this, it will open the flood gates for us to achieve other goals. It is a known fact that corrupt politicians caused the greatest damage to our country during the past years. First, we must clean the legislation to have a clean and free country. It is a must to have a strong political will in order to achieve our goals as stated above. I wish best of luck to my mother land!
As I ponder over the New Year wish list, the first thing that comes to mind is for the reduction of the essential food items bill, which will bring a measure of relief to the lower and middle income wage earners. The Sri Lankan people end up spending a big slice of their monthly budget on the food bill, compared to other nations. Therefore, the Government is urged to prioritise this concern and implement plans to promote the local produce, so that our country will be self-sufficient in the future.
My fervent wish for 2018 is for our President to put a full-stop to the continuous plundering of the resources of our country and the misappropriation of funds in the state coffers by the VVIPS and their allies occupying the hot seats in the current administration. We do not want to see perpetrators of financial and other crimes, being hauled up by the law enforcement officers, merely as an eye wash to satisfy the public. There should be a permanent legal process in place to mete out justice and equal protection before the law to all the Sri Lankan citizens.
I also wish for long lasting political stability and for continuous peace and harmony among all communities in our little island.
If my wishes become a reality, Sri Lanka will be a better place to live and once again become the paradise isle.
My wish is for a civilized society! There are certain negative aspects which Sri Lanka needs to get rid of to be a civilized society. People throw even the smallest items of litter everywhere, enter into arguments or clashes over petty things, people address each other in a rude manner, improper communication not excluding private sector and those who do not behave decently in common places and public assets or at least glare at or intervene with others.
When we move around and live in this land, at times it looks like this country and its culture has been very much influenced with those low values and precarious features of some neighborhoods. South Asian countries are known to depict poor civilized features. Sri Lanka cannot afford to, and need not to continue in this way. After all, why should our country join the bandwagon for whatever that is unwanted and is appropriate for elimination and how did people of this country lose their authenticity, values, who were once decent and well mannered?
Currently, these values which should be developed and polished are buried, as people has competing and are concerned about paper qualification and not the best of education, and aiming for all that are material for a comfortable life – but poor in personal quality.
Out of the endless wish list, let’s pick some subtle ones that do not fall into the usual first priority list.
The mosquito menace is one. If terrorism can be wiped out, this too can be done, if the Government believes in it and is willing to do so. Yes, if they righteously stick to a plan. The dengue issue too is facing a blank solution, without proper drugs, though we heard of many positive talks which projected developments. Otherwise no one will prefer to visit Sri Lanka, when the neighborhood is irritating with mosquitoes.
Another issue is the alcohol addiction. Most of poverty stricken families, in urban and rural areas, women and children suffer from domestic violence when their fathers, who is the breadwinner, is addicted to alcohol. These sad stories are hardly addressed and given a systematic solution. Women and children’s rights turn out to be cumbersome and accessibility becomes another barrier for them.
Prosperity of a country is not just in monetary terms or in giant concepts. It comes with intention and commitment. Wish for a ‘reality’ and not a ‘dream’.
I would wish for a peaceful 2018, where all Sri Lankans would celebrate life in a special way. Law and justice should be equivalent to all individuals. Poverty should be minimised. All beggars who do not have proper means of shelter should be given a place of stay. Basic requirements should be given free of charge to low income earners. I believe that bribery and corruption could be lessened by poverty eradication. Also, education and job opportunities should be strengthened. Spiritual, religious and cultural values should be inculcated. All individuals should be equally accepted and their concerns should be carefully heard and addressed by higher authorities. People must be taught the importance of living in the present, rather than dwelling too much on the past or future. Indeed, my wish for 2018 is to see more happiness in all Sri Lankans.
In short, to make the bad signals into good, and good ones for better.
One thing among the items in the wish list is the prevailing exchange rates for main international currencies to drop. This will then cause a major change, resulting in lower import expenditure on our essentials, therefore have a better impact on country’s international trade and for a narrow balance of payments deficit. Still we can have exchange controls where people won’t overuse it, so there won’t be an excess demand over supply.
The other aspect is that country need to strengthen and make all the laws and regulations enforceable, and not just limited to documents. This should apply from safeguarding environment, water resources, value addition to our exports in traditional or basic form, agriculture practices, and prevention of killings/accidents for our wildlife and relevant laws for punishable offences where most of internal issues have stemmed from including the acute kidney disease, climate change, harm to forests and wild life.
Wish all the best!
The country needs a miracle in 2018 to make a turnaround for a steady all-rounder path. This should not be just economically, but also spiritually – one that is conducive for all living beings including animals and the environment of this nation. Living in harmony with each other and nature, in a safe and secure environment should be top priorities.
Sri Lanka has had enough of internal shocks and there should be a full stop for this. With the prevailing situation, the country has gone from bad to worse. It is doubtful at this rate whether the situation can be put back in place. This requires undergoing a significant transformation, considerable time and the correct thinking. Hence, it may take several years or decades, if improvement is to be achieved and sustained. The time factor creates lot of opportunity cost and concerns. So, as the exit strategy what else we can hope for, other than a miracle?
What is best for the country is what we wish for. This country urgently needs the role of a leader who can reverse the prevailing governing culture for the better, wiping out the malpractices and corruption. This respective leader’s personality should be firm and diplomatic, where civil society can live and prosper without fear and instability.
Further such a leader should be knowledgeable with practical insights as to financial and social aspects of this country, unlike those who governed and did not know about their subject. This person should be diplomatic in handling international relations to safeguard territorial integrity of Sri Lanka without undue external intervention of other countries. This should also be extended to international trade. The reason is that our international presence seems to be smaller than our geographical area.
Due to this we have not still come into the limelight for the things we ought to. Export and tourism trade are areas where potential markets have not still heard about ‘Sri Lanka.’ The leader should be able to tap the small things that can be turning points for continued development and enhancing living standards. Let’s wholeheartedly wish that our sincere hopes come true on behalf of our country.
What’s on your wish list for Sri Lanka in 2018? We have come to the end of the year 2017. We will be waiting to welcome 2018. We can’t deny the fact that peace is the need of the hour. If we achieve that, then we will able to achieve our other goals in an easy way. As Sri Lankans, our main wish is to see all Sri Lankans living in harmony like brothers and sisters of one family. Therefore, peace in the country is the need of the hour.
Thereafter, as a country, we will achieve higher rates in terms of the gross domestic product (GDP), higher life expectancy, decrease in the cost of living, greater achievements in the fields of religion, education and cultural values.
One of the most vital objectives is none other than eradicating bribery and corruption. If we achieve this, it will open the flood gates for us to achieve other goals. It is a known fact that corrupt politicians caused the greatest damage to our country during the past years. First, we must clean the legislation to have a clean and free country. It is a must to have a strong political will in order to achieve our goals as stated above. I wish best of luck to my mother land!