International Trade Ministry efforts to form a pseudo national policy is of concern

By Professionals’ National Front

We were astonished to learn that a National Trade Policy has been formed by the Ministry of International Trade, as appeared in the recent press release. Their wanton attitudes shown in entering to the trade pacts has been expressed in their maximum, when forming this so-called document of National Trade Policy.

The trade policy formed by an NGO mercenary

What the Ministry has done was to summon a person called Dr. Ravi Rathnayaka from a foreign country and assign him the task of forming a national policy.

This Ravi Rathnayaka had been working for the UNO. Before this assignment, he has been working at poor countries in Asia Pacific region. His role of making the grounds for the Western powers to exploit these countries has now been changed to form the grounds for the regional powers, including India, to exploit Sri Lanka.  

The most hilarious this here is that the statement made in the press release by the Ministry mentions this national policy has been formed after consulting all the concerned parties. This is a mere lie. This policy has been formed by a single person. Even though that has been shown to few others and consulted, the ideas expressed have not been included in to the trade policy. And the methodology adopted by him has also been subjected to much criticism. The ideas expressed were not even included in to the meeting minutes and because of that fact the participants withdrew from the discussions. As such, this is ‘Ravi Rathnayaka’s trade policy’ and not a national trade policy, at all.

Government accepted the requirement of a National Trade Policy

Despite the role of traitors of the country, there is one wining factor achieved by the people of the country. It is the acceptance by the Ministry of International Trade of the requirement of a National Trade Policy. This is despite their previous claims that the efforts of professionals and business community to highlight the requirement of a National Trade Policy before discussing the pacts like ETCA and China-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement, are just the acts for killing the time. 

If the Government accepts the requirement of a National Trade Policy, its formation should be initiated by the government with a fair and acceptable methodology. The current discussions on the critical trade agreements with the other states should be implemented only based of such policy. There is no purpose at all to form the National Trade Policy, after the discussions and reaching the agreements with other states. Therefore, the current discussions should be suspended till the formation of the National Policy with the correct methodology. 

The National Trade Policy of the people

It is with humble pride we declare the formation of a National Trade Policy has already implemented by the professionals and business community of the island, filling the gap of ignorance of the Ministry of International Trade on the subject. The commission formed by the Professionals’ National Front, for the purpose of National Trade Policy, is now performing successfully and all the verbal evidence made by the participants could be referred to by anybody by visiting the commission’s website tradepolicysrilanka.org.

Several Cabinet Ministers like Kabir Hashim (Minister of Public Enterprises Development and the Secretary of United National Party), Daya Gamage (Minister of Primary Industries), Susil Premajayantha (Minister of Science, Technology and Research) and Dayasiri Jayasekara (Minister of Sports) have given evidence before the commission, both written and verbal, and this confirms the fact that even the Cabinet Ministers have defied ‘Ravi Rathnayaka’s trade policy’, a result of the Ministry of International Trade. Even the Cabinet Ministers were relying on the Public Commission for National Policy on International Trade, jointly headed by the former Vice-Chancellor of the Colombo University Prof. W.D. Lakshman and the former Attorney General Palitha Fernando.

Proposals of the NGO mercenary, also to the Public Commission

There is nothing preventing the direction of the proposals made by the Ravi Rathnayaka also to the Public Commission for National Policy on International Trade and evaluate whether any noteworthy points. A large number of members of academia have already made their submissions to the commission, both verbally and in writing.

The recommendations by the Public Commission for National Policy on International Trade are due in next few months and we compel the Government to get them enacted after directing to the Cabinet and to the Parliament.