“We need consistency, stability, a strong economy and peace”: Kishu Gomes

Thursday, 18 December 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By David Stephen All people have one objective and that is to create a better future for ourselves, for our people and for the country, asserted Chevron Lubricants Managing Director Kishu Gomes, addressing the Momentum forum yesterday.

“So with that objective in mind when we engage ourselves in different activities day in and day out, we need to make sure that we do things right… Sri Lankans, if we are to achieve economic growth, need to compete, and to compete we need to have sustainability, we need to have capabilities, we need to have competencies and every other skill and attribute that is required in order to face global challenges,” he noted. Pointing out that Sri Lanka as a country has very small opportunities to drive business growth, he emphasised that the people in the country have to get together and compete in the external world, “for which we need certain things in place so that we will be able to do our best”. Gomes added that for professionals, an enabling environment was required within which they would be focused and be able to do what they needed to do in order to achieve success, in addition to a stable economy. “If the economy is not stable we wouldn’t be able to achieve our goals. And we need macro environment policies that are consistent with what we need to achieve as professionals,” he added. Touching on terrorism, Gomes said that Sri Lanka was enjoying the benefits of eliminating terrorism but that it was actually raising its head globally and also emphasised that political stability was important since professionals needed strategies which were consistent and predictable. “If there is no political stability, we cannot think of strategy but just deploying tactics. Tactics in this fiercely competitive world will not take you anywhere. So we want a stable Government so that we can have longer strategies through which we know how to play our game. And unless a Government is stable and a Government is able to think of long-term strategy, you cannot expect a sustainable macroeconomic environment in the country,” he added. Stating that “switching direction every now and then will not get you anywhere,” the Chevron Lubricants MD stated that in summary, “we need consistency, we need stability, we need a strong economy and we need peace”. Gomes also touched on many post-war benefits in terms of tax, access to key decision-makers, accelerated growth, entry of top global brands and the opening up of markets, including within the country. His full speech will be published in the Daily FT tomorrow.