NO QUICK FIX It is plainly obvious that Sri Lanka is in the throes of an unprecedented crisis, an end to which is as distant as any happy memory one can think of. So while there’s been a groundswell of empathy and support for our island nation, which has garnered a deep-rooted affinity with the international community and lending agencies alike, there is a limit to how far this will go – and for how long – if we don’t pull our socks up. We may eventually come out of the extremities of the economic crisis that saw the people down on their knees, literally begging for the basic essentials of life, a few weeks ago but the cost of such a mini reversal of misfortune is phenomenal with more misery to come à la the cost of living and doing business, food and job security, and the prospect of ongoing political instability – and even a state of anarchy if the ship of state sinks to a new low. Meanwhile, we’re desperately in need of bridging finance, restructuring our debt so that future repayment schedules are sustainable and let it be said, trimming the colossal expenditure that taxpayers bear in the name of state officials including parliamentarians. To this end, may we say once more that corruption is costing us dearly and so is tax evasion – both of which have become endemic over the years and decades. So while there’s no quick fix in sight, there are ways out… if only Sri Lankans continue to demand justice and fair play. Anything short of such a goal will see the ship sink – with the people in it.