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It’s China that happens to have the cash now, says Sri Lanka Minister
Each country works out its own financing arrangements, says Ajith Nivard Cabraal, referring to Sri Lanka’s borrowing from China
by Meera Srinivasan
While government critics and the Opposition in Sri Lanka raise concern over the Rajapaksa administration’s growing reliance on China, in the wake of Colombo seeking a new $700 million loan from Beijing, a State Minister has said it is China that has the “most amount of cash now”.
“In different times in world history, different countries have been the ones who have had the most amount of cash. And now it happens to be China, so China will naturally invest all over the world,” Ajith Nivard Cabraal, State Minister of Money and Capital Market and State Enterprise Reforms, told The Hindu in a recent interview, on Sri Lanka’s response to the economic impact of the global pandemic. “I think we should all respect that,” said the Minister, who was the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s last term in office.
Amid the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) worrying forecast of a GDP contraction up to almost 7%, credit rating agency Moody’s downgrading of Sri Lanka by two notches to the “very high credit risk” category, the daunting $4.5 billion foreign debt due in the coming year, falling revenues and rising living costs, the Minister expressed optimism. Sri Lanka is exploring different options to repay its debt, including additional loans from China, currency swap facilities with India and China, and Samurai and Panda bonds, he said.
Mr. Cabraal’s remarks came a week after a high-powered delegation from Beijing flew into Colombo, and met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the Finance Minister. China, which sanctioned a $500 million loan in March to help Sri Lanka cope with the coronavirus’s blow, is likely to favourably consider the Rajapaksa government’s request for an additional $700 million now, having pledged support to the island nation’s pandemic recovery effort. Further, Sri Lanka is also negotiating a nearly $1.5-billion currency swap facility with the People’s Bank of China. Sri Lanka owes China over $5 billion so far.
Trade practices
“Nobody says China has given $1.5 trillion loans to the U.S.? We are talking about $700 million coming in… these are the trade practices, financing practices, prevalent in the world. Each country works out their own financing arrangements in line with what they feel is best for them,” Mr. Cabraal said, adding, other countries such as Japan, the U.S. and India have also been big investors in Sri Lanka. The U.S., for instance, “is a very strong investor in Sri Lanka’s sovereign bonds. I met the Indian CEO forum here, and I was quite surprised that there are more than 50 in Indian CEOs here.”
‘Different sources’
Government critics, including former Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera, has urged the Rajapaksa administration to engage the IMF, rather than fall into a “Chinese debt trap”, but the government has ruled out an IMF bailout.
The rapid credit facility that the government had earlier sought from the multilateral lender is yet to come through. Expressing displeasure, Mr. Cabraal said: “Rapid means rapid, no. Where is rapid in October when the accident occurred in March,” adding the government would still talk to the IMF.
While President Rajapaksa has vowed to disprove the “Chinese debt trap analysis”, few other sources seem as willing to lend readily. As for India, the Reserve Bank of India signed a $400 million swap agreement with Sri Lanka in July, to help boost Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves, and is perusing a further $1 billion requested by Sri Lanka. New Delhi is also yet to respond to PM Rajapaksa’s request for a debt moratorium — Sri Lanka owes $ 960 million to India — but Mr. Cabraal observed bilateral moratoriums cannot help much. “Emerging nations have all faced external sector stresses, which is not peculiar to Sri Lanka. Recently, some of the international agencies had provided some support for around 70 odd countries, which have been ad-hoc arrangements. This is a global problem, which needs a global solution,” he said.
Despite the external sector weakening significantly, Sri Lanka is “fortunate”, in Mr. Cabraal’s view. The country’s foreign reserves have “not been affected too much”, exports have “held firm” and remittances have been “pretty strong”. In September, Sri Lanka recorded over $700 million from worker remittances. Exports in July crossed $1 billion and the government’s move to restrict imports “has paid off”, according to Mr. Cabraal. “Our foreign reserves will be around $5.8 billion. I would say that is not an uncomfortable level.” A clearer picture will emerge only by end of the year, as the Department of Census and Statistics postponed the release of the second quarter GDP figures until then.
However, Sri Lanka’s challenge is far from over. It remains to be seen if the remittances will continue flowing in. Some 50,000 Sri Lankan migrant workers, who were employed in West Asian countries, want to return, while thousands lost their jobs and at least 67 succumbed to Covid-19 in their host countries. Domestically too, a new wave of COVID-19 infections is rapidly spreading within the garment manufacturing sector that is crucial to exports.
Falling revenues
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s revenues have fallen drastically, by an estimated LKR 440 billion (about $2.3 billion), also in the wake of tax cuts on imported items, prompting economists to emphasise a sound fiscal policy in the coming budget. Asked if the government was taking a fresh look at its tax regime to boost revenues, including considering a wealth tax that the IMF has recommended in its recent World Economic Outlook, Mr. Cabraal said: “You cannot make poor people rich, by making the rich people poor…we don’t want to put mansion taxes and these silly taxes which have actually crippled the more affluent people and remove them from the equation of providing jobs and providing support,” adding that the upcoming Budget, to be tabled next month, would reflect a “a balanced partnership”, where small and medium scale businesses will be supported, so they can extend job opportunities to the poor.
(THE HINDU)
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PCoI on Easter Sunday attacks:
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Attorney General Dappula de Livera, PC is not bound by recommendations made by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (P CoI) into the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage, or presidential directives in that regard, according to authoritative sources.
They said that the AG couldn’t under any circumstances initiate legal proceedings until he had received the full PCoI report.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa received the PCoI report on Feb 1. The President’s Office delivered a set of PCoI reports to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Feb 23, a day after the report was presented to the cabinet of ministers. The Island raised the matter with relevant authorities in the wake of a section of the media reporting the PCoI recommending punitive measures against former President Maithripala Sirisena, Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, IGP Pujitha Jayasundera, Chief of State Intelligence Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, Chief of National Intelligence retired DIG Sisira Mendis and All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) leader and Samagi Jana Balavegaya MP Rishad Bathiudeen et al over the Easter Sunday carnage.
Sources pointed out that due to the inordinate delay in sharing the PCoI report with the AG, the department hadn’t been able to take preliminary measures required to initiate the proceedings. Sources said that a team of officers would take at least six weeks or more to examine the report before tangible measures could be taken.
With the AG scheduled to retire on May 24, 2021, even if the AG Department received the P CoI it would be quite a tough task to initiate proceedings ahead of retirement, sources said. However, in terms of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution enacted in last October, both the AG and the IGP could receive extensions beyond 60 at the President’s discretion.
Dappula de Livera received an Acting appointment as the AG a week after the Easter Sunday carnage whereas his predecessor Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, was elevated to Chief Justice.
Responding to another query, sources said that the Attorney General two weeks ago requested Secretary to the President for a copy of the P CoI. However, the AG was yet to receive one, sources said. In spite of the AG not receiving a P CoI copy, the AG had instructed the IGP to obtain a copy of the report when he requested the police to complete investigations into the Easter Sunday carnage. The AG issued specific instructions after having examined police files pertaining to the investigations.
The IGP, too, hadn’t received a copy so far though some sections of the report were in the public domain.
Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage displayed at a live political programme on Derana a copy of the P CoI report he received at the cabinet meeting earlier in the day.
Sources said that the Attorney General’s Department couldn’t decide on a course of action in respect of the Easter carnage on the basis of a section of the report. In terms of the Commission of Inquiry Act (Section 24), the AG enjoyed significant powers/authority in respect of investigations; sources said adding that the Department urgently required both the P CoI report and police investigations report. The Attorney General’s Department has raised the delay in receiving a P CoI report amidst the Catholic Church attacking the government over the same issue.
Sources said that ministerial committee appointed to study the P CoI report couldn’t decide on how to proceed with the recommendations and the matter was entirely in the hands of the AG. Sources pointed out that the delay on the part of the government to release the report had received the attention of sections of the international media, including the New York Times. Public Security Minister retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera having met Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith at the Bishop’s House on Dec 8, 2020 said that the AG would get a copy of the P CoI report once the President received it. Minister Weerasekera said that the CID had handed over the relevant files after having completed investigations into eight blasts. Referring to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) report on the Easter Sunday carnage, the former Navy Chief of Staff said that all such documents would have to be brought to one place and considered before initiating legal proceedings. Acknowledging that there could be delays, lawmaker Weerasekera said that on the instructions of the Attorney General a 12-member team of lawyers was working on the case. The minister vowed to expose the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday attacks. Investigations continued while some of those wanted were overseas, the minister said.
The minister acknowledged that the Attorney General couldn’t proceed without the P CoI report. Minister Weerasekera reiterated that once the President received the P CoI report, it would be sent to the Attorney General. The minister said that there were documents two to three feet high that needed scrutiny. The minister assured comprehensive investigation. The minister said that investigations pertaining to eight blasts had been completed and the reports handed over to the AG. However, the Attorney General had found shortcomings in those investigations.
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By Saman Indrajith
The Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the Easter Sunday bombings had failed to identify the mastermind of , the JVP said yesterday.
Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, JVP Propaganda Secretary MP Vijitha Herath said that the PCoI report had levelled accusations against former President Maithripala Sirisena, former IGP and head of intelligence for their dereliction of duty, shirking of responsibilities and not taking action to prevent the attacks and negligence. There were reference to the causes of the terror attacks and actions to be taken to avoid such attacks and the influence of extremist organisations. “However, there is no mention of the mastermind of the attacks, the handlers of the attackers and those whose interests the carnage served. It is also not mentioned whether there has been any foreign or local organisation behind those attacks. As per the PCoI report the attack took place as a result of culmination of extremism.
“According to the PCoI the extremist activities were a result of the prevailing political situation then. The entire nation was waiting to see who was responsible and who masterminded those attacks. The PCoI has failed to identify the true culprits responsible for the terror attacks. The report says that the leader of the suicide cadres killed himself in the attacks and it was a puzzle. That means those who are actually responsible for the attacks are still at large. The report does not provide exact details of the sources of the attacks. The PCoI had sittings for one year and five months. It summoned various persons and got their statements but it has failed to shed any light on the terror attacks. Everybody knows that the top leaders of the government and heads of security and intelligence establishments failed in their duties. Ranil Wickremesinghe was the second in command and he too is bound by the responsibility but the PCoI report fails to identify him as one of the persons against whom legal action should be instituted. The PCoI has treated Wickremesinghe and former President Maithripala Sirisena differently. We are not telling that this report is a total failure but we cannot accept this as a complete report. The PCoI handed over its report to the President on Feb 1. After 23 days it was sent to Parliament. Now, a copy of the report is there in the parliamentary library for the perusal of MPs.”
Herath said that the PCoI did not have powers to take punitive action. “It only has powers to name those responsible and recommend action to be taken against those named.
