Intl. human rights activist says killing traders via import curbs to save farmers ill-advised

International human rights activist Muheed Jeeran (left) with Imports and Exports Controller Damayanthi Karunaratne 

• Calls for balanced approach to support all stakeholders, including farmers, local traders, importers and consumers in meeting with Imports and Exports Controller Damayanthi Karunaratne

International human rights activist Muheed Jeeran, in a meeting with Imports and Exports Controller Damayanthi Karunaratne this week, has taken up a host of issues connected to the restrictions imposed by the Government on essential foods and non-essential items, as part of managing pressure on scarce foreign reserves as well as promoting local industries. 

Following the meeting, Jeeran said the Controller agreed to his suggestion that every sector should be treated in a balanced way in order to protect the interests of all stakeholders of a product or an industry. 

“After COVID-19 lockdown, our country is facing a huge problem in terms balance of payment issue. We are an import-dependent country and we suffered a massive loss in our foreign reserve that put down our country into a difficult situation in spending funds through our foreign reserve,” Jeeran said. 

“However it is not an easy strategy to change a country from imports dependency to export-oriented market in a fortnight. Unfortunately, our leaders are making blindfolded decisions in order to rescue the local farmers’ interests and local productions,” he added. 

Jeeran pointed out that to save the economy, Sri Lanka must encourage farmers to increase the local production, but at the same time should allow the import traders to breathe and live in the system, though challenges remain due to the meltdown in foreign earnings. 

“Keep them alive and rescuing the farmers should be the right strategy, rather killing the traders in the name of rescuing the farmers,” Jeeran opined. 

During the meeting with the Controller, he urged there should be some relaxation in turmeric imports, though no country in the world has the right to ban food items, according to World Trade Organisation rules, and Sri Lanka being a member state should follow. 

“However, they can impose the Import restriction on a product based on protecting local farmers’ interests. But here, their total restriction is putting the consumer to face a very hard time on purchasing this product with a reasonable price,” he said. 

Noting that the selling price of 1 kilo turmeric in India is Rs. 120 but locally the selling price is Rs. 4,600, Jeeran said “The wrong decision by the bureaucrats made the consumers suffer more, and allowed some illegal groups to earn massive money.” 

He pointed out that there was no guarantee that the local farmers can meet the consumer demand, and even natural disasters are a major risk to eliminate the total cultivation forecast locally. 

In that context, he emphasised that there should be a balanced system by rescuing and supporting all stakeholders, including farmers, local traders, importers, and consumers. 

He said the scenarios are similar to some other trading goods too, including ceramic and sanitary ware products. “The consumers’ demands, local manufacturing and cultivation output, and the level of productivity between imports and local productions should be taken into consideration before making this type of decision that violates the rights of certain groups of stakeholders,” Jeeran added. 

He said the meeting with the Import and Export Controller was positive and enlightening.