Saturday, 26 October 2013 10:20
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Development in Sri Lanka is counterbalanced by debt. Joining the long list of illustrations is the country’s second highway connecting Katunayake to the Colombo city limits at a cost of US$ 337 million, which will be opened on Sunday by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
It is widely acknowledged that the Colombo- Katunayake Highway is essential in the development process of Sri Lanka. It is largely funded by the Chinese Government through a loan from the Import Export Bank (EXIM) amounting to US$ 292 million with an additional US$ 45 million footed by the Sri Lankan Government.
Begun in August 2009, it was initially expected to be completed by July but ran into several delays with a final dash to be ready before the all-important Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) next month. Keen to impress the 53 members visiting Sri Lanka’s shores the highway has become part of a massive facelift including Rs. 2 billion spent on refurbishing the Bandaranaike International Memorial Convention Hall (BMICH), also from Chinese funds, which was opened by the President on Thursday afternoon.
Since the war ended, China has emerged at the island’s largest loan provider with US$ 1.2 billion in 2009 and US$ 821 million in 2010. In 2011 the amount fell to US$ 784.7 million but China remains involved in almost all the large-scale projects taking place.
This high level of debt demands that essential projects such as the Colombo-Katunayake Highway be done efficiently with as little wastage as possible. The Daily FT’s guest columnist and industry professional Tudor Wijenayake on Friday in his column pointed out that the expressway, delayed for more than two decades, was eventually built at 10 times the cost than was initially estimated in 1991, making it yet another example of political and policy mismanagement.
He details how the project was mired in corruption during former President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s time and three people were shot dead by Police after people in Uswetakeyyawa protested sea sand dredging to fill up the highway. Eventually the UNP Government cancelled that contract but not before Rs. 5.4 billion had to be paid out to the contractor at the public’s expense.
Subsequently the Rajapaksa Government formed a contract with the Chinese State-owned Metallurgical Construction Group Corporation but questions over transparency still remain. The biggest concern are tracts built over the peat-rich Muthurajawela wetlands that could collapse unless properly reinforced with sea sand, which also happens to be the most expensive fill-material. Only time will tell whether the quality of the highway is worth the money paid for it. To avoid repetition of such mistakes, future project details need to be available to public, to allow public and intelligentsia to express their views, so that every project is cost effective, and reach correct determination for the ultimate good of the country, Wijenayake insists.
He goes on to say that professional institutions, as representatives of professionals in respective fields, need to initiate discussions on proposed public projects, should spearhead public opinion and advise the Government to avoid costly blunders; so far they have failed in their duties as responsible professional bodies.
Sri Lanka needs a large number of massive development projects for the benefit of the populace and the generations to come. Everyone would agree that, with Sri Lanka’s finances being what they are today, the country can no longer afford further mistakes. Society as a whole needs to work together to find ways and means of preventing the repetition of such blunders.
