Jeremy Hunt’s misleading mental health claims

• By Martin Williams-1 AUG 2017
• 
  

The government has announced a £1.3bn plan to expand the mental health workforce with a “challenging” recruitment drive.

The aim is to help the NHS care for an additional one million patients by 2020-21, according to the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt.

We put his claims to the FactCheck test.

Are nurse numbers really on the rise?

Speaking to the BBC about the mental health plans, Hunt invited people to “look at our track record”.
He claimed: “We do have 6,000 more people in nursing … The actual numbers of people working in the health service are going up.”

At first glance, the latest NHS figures appear to support the gist of this claim.

When the Conservatives came to office in May 2010, there were 280,950 nurses and health visitors in the NHS, overall. That number had risen to 285,893 by March this year.

That’s around 5,000 more nurses – not the 6,000 Hunt claimed, but an increase nonetheless.

However, Hunt’s announcement was about mental health recruitment, and these figures cover all aspects of the NHS. Only a small proportion of these nurses work in mental health.

If we look specifically at mental health nurses, the number has actually gone down. The workforce has been reduced by 12 per cent since May 2010.

It is also worth bearing in mind that these figures only represent the number of nurses, rather than the nurse-to-patient ratio.

While we don’t have figures for every patient who sees a nurse, there is evidence that mental health nurses in NHS hospitals are seeing their caseloads rise.

Admissions rose by an estimated 8,853 (7.5 per cent) between 2011/12 and 2015/16 and bed days went up by 4,532 (22 per cent).

Are enough nurses being trained?

Speaking to Channel 4 News, Hunt said: “In the case of mental health nursing, we have 8,000 nurses in training at the moment. If we can get them all to work in mental health, that would be a 22 per cent increase.”

We’re not certain how this figure for the number of nurses in training has been calculated. The Department for Health told us that the number of nurses in training was provided to them by Health Education England (HEE). HEE has not responded to our request for confirmation yet, but we will update this when they do.

However, even if this figure is right, there are a number of major flaws with Hunt’s logic.

First of all, Hunt assumes that all mental health nursing students will immediately get jobs as mental health nurses in the NHS. But this sounds like wishful thinking.

Even the universities that advertise training don’t claim that absolutely all of their students get jobs within six months of leaving. Some may go on to further study, switch to a different type of nursing, work in the private sector, or even get an entirely different job.

The health secretary might reasonably rely on most of these students getting jobs as mental health nurses pretty quickly. But the idea that 100 per cent of them will also seems unrealistic.

Secondly – and more significantly – it assumes that no one who currently works as a mental health nurse will leave, retire, or switch jobs. Again, this would obviously not be the case.

Indeed, the HEE has warned about staff retention issues in nursing, saying that “there needs to be increased retention of new graduates and

current staff”.

A report said the NHS should “make improving retention and staff engagement a key strategy”.

It added: “It is less expensive to retain the nurses than to recruit, train and place new ones. Many healthcare providers struggle to fill nursing vacancies and need to develop robust nurse retention strategies to prevent further nurses leaving … Retention strategies are likely to be significantly cheaper than recruitment strategies.”

Hunt’s optimism assumes that the flow of new trainees will continue in future years.

But there has actually been a slump in applications to study nursing and midwifery: they dropped by 23% after the government scrapped NHS bursaries.

HIV in Philippines the highest in Asia Pacific, declared ‘national emergency’

Filipino activists marching during the 2012 World AIDS Day calling for increased awareness to the rising number of HIV infections and AIDS-related cases. Source: AP


2nd August 2017

PARLIAMENTARIANS, activists and health experts have called the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the Philippines a national emergency after a United Nations report showed rates of the disease were the highest in the Asia-Pacific region.

They are urging President Rodrigo Duterte’s government to take drastic action, after a UNAIDS report showed the Philippines had seen a 140 percent increase in the number of new HIV infections between 2010 and 2016, from 4,300 to 10,500 cases.

“The government must focus its time and resources on this urgent, life and death matter. We cannot afford to lose our young people to this epidemic,” said Senator Risa Hontiveros, the Senate Committee on Health vice-chair on Wednesday.

SEE ALSO: Philippines: As HIV cases hit record high, govt explores new drug treatment

Philippines health department data has shown in May 2017 alone, more than 1,000 new cases of HIV-AIDS were reported – the highest number since the heavily Catholic country’s first recorded case in 1984.

About 97 percent of the new cases were transmitted through sexual contact, mostly among men who have sex with men.

In 2012, Quezon City became the first city in the Philippines to open a clinic providing services for men who have sex with men and transgender people. Source: UNAIDS

“Education on sexuality and safe sex is being neglected, and unfortunately, that takes a toll on the health of our young people. Most new cases are from among people between 15 to 24 years old,” said Hontiveros, as quoted by the state Philippine News Agency.

Head of the AIDS Research Group of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine Dr Rossana Ditangco said within less than ten years, more than 90 percent of those with HIV in the Philippines would be in the below-30 age bracket.

“We can’t control the rapid rise of HIV infection,” she said, as reported by Rappler. “It is time the government treats HIV as a national emergency.”

SEE ALSO: Philippines: Nationwide public smoking ban to kick off on July 22

Human Rights Watch researcher Carlos H. Conde wrote on Tuesday the Philippines’ government must “remove current official obstacles to condom access and usage as well as ensure schools include safer sex and HIV prevention education in the curriculum.”

“Likewise, the government needs to step up its efforts to eliminate stigma and 

discrimination, which are key factors in discouraging or preventing key affected populations being tested or treated,” he said.

Last week, the Philippines announced a two-year pilot project to offer anti-HIV drugs to the gay and transgender communities, a move welcomed by LGBT activists.

Veiled marketing: Anti-smoking groups slam Indonesia's Big Tobacco

A woman holds packs of Sampoerna cigarettes produced by PT HM Sampoerna at a cigarette shop in Jakarta, August 1, 2017.

Eveline Danubrata and Stefanno Reinard-AUGUST 2, 2017

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Anti-smoking groups in Indonesia have slammed Big Tobacco for promoting sales by giving retailers cash rewards, shopping vouchers and even money to renovate, urging authorities to enforce advertising curbs to safeguard public health.

The country with one of the highest smoking rates in the world does have a national regulation in place to restrict cigarette advertisements, including a ban on tobacco firms promoting their products while acting as a sponsor. But it is inconsistently enforced by regional authorities.

Cigarette makers are making the most of this, tying up with small retailers and rewarding them for in-store promotion of products, the anti-smoking groups said.

By mid-2016, Philip Morris-controlled PT Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna Tbk (HMSP.JK), PT Gudang Garam Tbk (GGRM.JK) and Djarum Group had partnered 513 shop-owners in four cities surrounding Jakarta, a study by the Indonesian Public Health Association (IAKMI) shows.

Cigarette companies have stepped up "veiled promotions" following a move by the Jakarta governor two years ago to ban all cigarette advertising on outdoor media, IAKMI said.

"Their grip will take root even more, and the consumption of cigarettes will spread," said Widyastuti Soerojo, head of IAMKI's tobacco control unit.

A shop-owner in Tangerang, west of Jakarta, said as a Sampoerna partner he has to follow the company's display requirements for its products and is not allowed to sell other cigarette brands.

In return, Sampoerna has given him free cigarette packs, shopping vouchers, banners and even a million rupiah ($75) to paint his shop, he said, declining to be named as he was not authorised to speak to media.

Cigarette advertisements are often found at small shops near schools, making children extremely vulnerable, said Lisda Sundari, head of the Lanterns for Children Foundation.

A shocking video of a toddler reportedly puffing up to 40 cigarettes a day on the island of Sumatra went viral around seven years ago, firing up anti-tobacco activists who said it underscored the problem of underage smoking in Indonesia.

A street vendor counts money as he buys a box of A Mild cigarettes produced by PT HM Sampoerna at a cigarette shop in Jakarta, August 1, 2017.

Despite rising anti-smoking sentiment in the country of 250 million people, Indonesia's cigarette market was the second-biggest in the world after China with 316.1 billion sticks sold last year, data from Euromonitor International shows.

Gudang Garam and Djarum did not respond to requests for comment. Sampoerna did not immediately provide a comment.

Industry Needs Room to Breathe

Philip Morris, Sampoerna's parent company, said the overall cigarette market in Indonesia dropped 11.6 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, while its market share fell to 32.8 percent from 33.4 percent.

The U.S. cigarette giant said tax-driven price increases were partly responsible for the drop.

"We are being pressured from all sides: rising excise taxes, a not-so-good economy, anti-tobacco movement," said Muhaimin Moeftie, chairman of the association of Indonesian white cigarette producers. Regulations should give the industry "room to breathe", he added.

The decision to raise cigarette excise taxes by an average of 10.5 percent this year, following an 11 percent hike in 2016, was aimed at controlling consumption and distribution, a senior official at the finance ministry said.

"The government is concerned about production, we hope production of cigarettes will gradually drop," said Heru Pambudi, director-general of customs and excise.

But Indonesia's parliament has initiated a bill which if passed into law would cut back health warnings on packs and effectively increase production.

Proponents of the bill say it would safeguard a vital economic sector that employs millions and contributes nearly 10 percent of state revenues.

"Don't call us a sunset industry," said Moeftie. "We've been fighting for a long time. The industry must always be there."

Reporting by Jakarta Newsroom and Eveline Danubrata, additional reporting by Stefanno Reinard, Hidayat Setiaji and Cindy Silviana; Editing by Ed Davies and Himani Sarkar

Yemen's cholera 'hotspots' home to a million starving children

Save the Children says one million children aged under five - including 200,000 with severe acute malnutrition - most at risk of disease

A Yemeni child is checked by a doctor in Abs in Yemen's Hajjah province, on 16 July, 2017 (AFP)

Wednesday 2 August 2017

More than one million malnourished children aged under five in Yemen are living in areas with high levels of cholera, the charity Save The Children warned on Wednesday as it began sending more health experts to the worst-hit areas.

Cholera has killed more than 1,900 Yemenis and infected 425,000 since the outbreak began in April 2015.

Save the Children said children under the age of 15 are now accounting for about 44 percent of new cases and 32 percent of fatalities in Yemen where a devastating civil war and economic collapse has left millions on the brink of starvation.

The charity said new analysis of district-level data revealed more than one million malnourished children aged under five - including 200,000 with severe acute malnutrition - were living in cholera "hotspots".

"The tragedy is both malnutrition and cholera are easily treatable if you have access to basic healthcare," said Tamer Kirolos, Save the Children's Yemen operations director.

"But hospitals and clinics have been destroyed, government health workers haven't been paid for almost a year, and the delivery of vital aid is being obstructed."

Cholera, which is spread by eating food or drinking water contaminated by the vibrio cholerae bacterium, can kill within hours if untreated.

The cholera outbreak prompted the UN last week to revise its humanitarian assessment and it now calculates 20.7 million Yemenis are in need of assistance, up from the previous figure of 18.8 million in a population of 28 million.

Oxfam has projected the number of people infected with cholera could rise to more than 600,000 - "the largest ever recorded in any country in a single year since records began" - exceeding Haiti in 2011.

Save the Children said it operates 14 cholera treatment centres and more than 90 rehydration units in Yemen but was sending more health experts to the worst-hit areas.

Millions are malnourished in Yemen where famine looms, the UN says.

The nation has been divided by civil war since March 2015 as the internationally recognised Yemeni government battles the Shia Houthi rebels.

A coalition of states led by Saudi Arabia intervened in the conflict in 2015 to support government forces against the rebels who are supported by Saudi Arabia’s region rival, Iran.

The Saudi-led coalition has repeatedly been accused of blocking aid to Yemen including most recently the UN denouncing the coalition for allegedly obstructing jet fuel deliveries to its planes.

Overcome danger of open ended postponement of elections

By Jehan Perera-July 31, 2017, 8:33 pm 

The postponement of provincial elections was not expected. The constitution states that provincial elections must be held on schedule. But, the postponement was not surprising. Local government elections have been postponed for over two years. Every few weeks there have been declarations by government leaders that the conduct of local government elections is imminent. A fortnight ago, Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Faizer Musthapha said that the government and other party leaders have reached consensus to change the electoral system for local government elections to one in which the ratio between members elected under the first-past-the-post system and the proportional representation system would be 60:40 from the earlier proposed ratio of 70:30.

Minister Mustapha also said the government would be in a position to hold local government polls within this year after passing much delayed Amendments to the local government electoral system. However, instead of acting on its words in regard to the conduct of the local government elections, the government has now decided to postpone the provincial council elections which were due to be held this year. Elections were to have been held for the North-Central, Sabaragamuwa and Eastern Provincial Councils this year when their terms end on October 1. The Cabinet approved a proposal seeking to conduct the elections to all nine provincial councils on the same day, under a new system which will change the present proportional system to include a mix of the first-past-the-post system and the proportional representation system.

Under the latter provision, the provincial council election law would be amended to make way for the new system according to which 60 per cent of members would be elected on the first-past-the-post system and 40 per cent on the proportional representation systems. The problem in the electoral reform process has been that getting agreement between all parties on the proposed reforms has been most difficult. The UNP and SLFP, which are the biggest parties, prefer having more emphasis on the first-past-the-post system where the candidate who gets the largest number of votes in a particular electorate is the one who gets elected. But the smaller parties prefer the emphasis to be on the proportional system as it guarantees them some representation even when they are unable to obtain a majority of votes in even one electorate.

THREE REASONS

The government has given three reasons, and not just one, for the postponement of the provincial council elections. Each of these reasons has its own validity. The first is the need to amend the provincial council law to make it follow the same basis as the revision in the local government law with regard to the electoral system. The second reason for the postponement of the provincial elections is to facilitate the incorporation of a women’s quota into the provincial council system as already introduced into the local government system. The government proposal is to amend the provincial council law to make it binding on all political parties and independent groups to field at least 30 per cent female candidates in provincial council elections. This is on the basis that the government has taken a policy decision to increase the female representation in all political decision-making bodies.

Last year amended the local government law to include 25 percent quota for women at the Local Government elections through a reserved list for women who will be elected outside of the open list of candidates. However, the government also stated that no similar quota will be provided at the parliamentary level and that the expectation appeared to be that increased women’s representation in higher levels of governance will take place through the upward mobility of women from the local level. The representation of women in local government is only about 2 percent, in provincial councils it is only about 4 percent and in parliament it is about 6 percent. While there is a recognition in Sri Lanka today that a peaceful and just society requires multi ethnic and multi religious representation in decision making, there is still inadequate recognition that men cannot, and should not, seek to represent the interests of the entirety of society, when more than half of the population of Sri Lanka are women. Therefore bringing in a quota for women at the provincial council level is a positive development.

The third reason that has been given for the need to amend the provincial council law is that holding all the provincial elections on a single day would save the government a lot of money. Conducting provincial elections on different dates, as and when the terms of the provincial councils ends, means that the election machinery has to be utilized on a large number of occasions. As there are nine provincial councils, it is conceivable that each five years would see nine separate elections that are held at different times. This is close to what the previous government did. The previous government headed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa held provincial council elections and other elections whenever they wished to show the people and the international community that they continued to retain the people’s mandate.

DEADLINE NEEDED

During the period of the Rajapaksa government, whenever they were on the back foot due to international pressure regarding human rights violations, the government held an election. They concentrated their forces, both in terms of strong-arm and financial resources, to ensure that they would score a thumping victory and adduce this as evidence that they enjoyed the wholehearted support of the local population. Holding all provincial elections on a single day would put an end to this practice and to the massive expenses associated with it. Such a reform would also reduce the pressure on government leaders to be on constant election campaign mode, and therefore make it more possible for them to give their time and effort to engage in problem solving as befits their role in the polity, rather than in electioneering.

However, these justifications for amending the provincial council law and postponing elections needs to be balanced against the importance of holding regular elections which are the lifeblood of democracy. Regular and free and fair elections facilitate the rejuvenation of the polity which could otherwise become moribund and corrupt. It was the electoral process that finally undid the former Rajapaksa government that acted as if the victory in the war against the LTTE had given them the right to rule as sovereigns with impunity. It can only be in extreme circumstances that elections are postponed. Such extreme circumstances do not currently prevail in Sri Lanka. The electoral process ought to recommence rather than being put on indefinite hold. The postponement of elections needs to be subjected to a strict deadline rather than being permitted to drag on indefinitely as the local government elections have been.

There is one extenuating circumstance for the government. The constitutional reform process has neared the stage of a draft new constitution. The constitutional reform process should be permitted to reach fruition. The formation of a government of national unity between the UNP and SLFP offers the real possibility of constitutional change that can overcome the failures of the past. Holding local or provincial elections at this time will pit the political parties in the government against one another, which is the unstated reason to postpone the elections until the constitutional reform takes place. However, this postponement should be subjected to a strict and accountable deadline. An open ended delay on the grounds of inability to reach consensus on the reform of election laws and the constitution would be detrimental to democracy. The government will be seen to be a meandering one, which is not engaging in constructive actions. It has to show movement. Constitutional reform is a necessity. The process has been going on for two years. The government needs to see constitutional reform to its end.

Over 1.mn people hit by drought: DMC

 

2017-07-30

The total number of people affected by the prevailing drought had increased over one million, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) census said today.

The DMC said that eight provinces out of the nine, where people in 17 districts were hit by the drought.

According to the DMC latest situation report 1, 093, 717 people belonging to 314, 049 families had been severely affected by the prevailing drought.

The Northern Province is the most affected Province with a total of 462, 815 individuals belonging to 133, 678 families being hit by the drought.

The North-Western Province and the Eastern Province followed with a total 281, 013 people belonging to 82, 513 families and 211, 736 people belonging to 59, 003 families respectively.

In the Kurunegala District 149, 962 individuals belonging to 45, 730 families were affected by the drought.

Meanwhile, 79, 602 people belonging to 23, 285 families in the North-Central, 20, 641 people belonging to 5, 904 families in the Central Province, 29, 868 people belonging to 7, 668 families in the Uva Province, 812 people belonging to 183 families in the Sabaragamuwa Province and 7, 230 people belonging 1, 875 families in the Southern Province reportedly affected by the drought.

The DMC report said that out of 17 affected districts, drinking water was provided to selected areas in ten districts.

Meanwhile, the Meteorology Department said that showers or thunder showers could be expected in the in Central, Sabaragamuwa and Southern Provinces and several spells of shower will occur in North-Western Province today. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)

Exclusive: Contemptible façade veiled indiscretion of installed HR Boss!

Harassments against female staff members by the installed head of Human Rights group claimed for working on justice exposed!

by A Special Correspondent- Aug 1, 2017

Aug 1, 2017

(August 1, 2017, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) A series of email communications obtained by Sri Lanka Guardian has indicated that the Executive Director of a human rights organization claimed to be working in Asia to enhance and radically improve the justice institutions has been engaged in various forms of harassments including sexual harassments against female staff members who worked in the organisation in recent past.

Eventually, the victims who spoke out against the actions of this accused person and urged for the impartial investigation to take disciplinary action through the internal mechanism were systematically discredited and their voices went unheard proving there is no room for justice in the loosely managed arrangement based on nothing but utter compromises for cheap gains.

However, the email communications further indicated at least one victim was in full confidence and trusted the higher authority of the organization, the board, as it consists of reputed personalities on the subject. Unfortunately, she was deceived throughout the pseudo procedure, and her demands were refuted.

“Her pain and pride have been betrayed by the responsible parties while taking all necessary actions to cagey and securely continue the service of the alleged perpetrator,” a source close to the victim said.

Cartoon courtesy: Moscow Times

According to the email communications between the chairperson of this organisation and the victim it is revealed that the alleged Executive Director has deliberately created the hostile situation against the female staff members even though they have performed duties in accordance with their contractual agreements and produced clean work records.

Meanwhile, “…the head of the board has shamelessly and flagrantly lied to the victim”, an inside source said.

“In their response to the victim they have quoted a meeting that has never taken place by covering up the indiscretions of the Executive Director,” a reliable source within the organization has further revealed when we inquired the facts highlighted in the email exchange.

“They have appointed a committee against sexual harassments; which is nothing but a façade where alleged criminals can secure their position unconditionally. The real tragicomedy is that the so-called committee against sexual harassments is headed by the very person who was accused of harassing the female staff members. As the result of this abnormal malpractice most of the female staff members either resigned or had their service discontinued,” a reliable source expressed their displeasure.

Sri Lanka to host conference on Tamil culture

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT- JULY 31, 2017

The International Movement of Tamil Culture (Sri Lanka chapter) in association with the University of Jaffna will be holding a two-day special conference on ‘Challenges and Initiatives of Tamil Language and Culture’ at the University premises on August 5 and 6.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Malathi Rajavelu, IMTC India Chapter and Panch. Ramalingam, Reader in the UGC- Human Resource development Centre, Pondicherry University and chairman of the conference said that as many as 48 delegates from Puducherry and various parts of the country will take part in the deliberations at the conference.

Eminent scholars and Parliamentarians from Canada, U.S., France, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Japan, Sri Lanka, Kuwait and Singapore will participate in the conference.

As many as 60 research papers will be presented in 10 scientific sessions of the conference and eminent personalities from various countries will be honoured with Ulaga Tamil Mamani Award 2017.

Financial aid

Mr. Ramalingam said that a financing unit will be started to help the Tamil community who are in need of monetary support to help them eke out a livelihood. A Memorandum of Understanding will be inked with the universities to conduct research related to Tamil culture.


A World Tamil Cultural centre will be established in various countries which has a Tamil population of more than one lakh. Travel grants will also be provided for scholars for undertaking research on Tamil culture and related studies, he added.

On religion, intolerance and economic prosperity

Photo by Dominic Sansoni

AYESHA ZUHAIR on 08/01/2017

Some moons back, in the course of a conversation with an overseas-based Sri Lankan academic who was then in Colombo on a short vacation, I was struck by a remark he made on what he discerned as the growing religiosity of Sri Lankan society. He was of the opinion that Sri Lankans – broadly speaking – were becoming increasingly assertive of their religious identities, and reckoned that this development did not bode well for our future. The rising influence of religion, he felt, was going to be one of the country’s next major challenges.

As someone fairly conscious of my own religious identity, my immediate reaction was, “If people are becoming more conscious of their religious identities, is this something we should be afraid of?” His response was that it could become a concern if the assertion of a particular religious identity has a negative impact on others. The basic underlying assumption here was fairly clear; the more ‘religious’ a society was, the greater the propensity for dissonance and even violence.

The link between religion and conflict has been the subject of much debate over a long period of time, attracting amplified attention post 9/11. It is not a debate that will end any time soon. For many secular thinkers, religious beliefs and their manifestations represent an impediment to the creation of harmonious, cohesive societies because of fundamental disagreements over what constitutes ‘the truth’. Secularists seem convinced that a policy of ignoring or marginalising religious believers and groups is a necessary requisite for unity.

Granted, promoting peace and co-existence in contexts where religious groups show great gusto in emphasising their distinctiveness, as opposed to their commonalities, can be tremendously challenging. Yet it is a fallacy to think that religious diversity is at odds with social cohesion.
Religion is not a gremlin to be contained; it can actually be a powerful counterweight to narcissist, supremacist thinking and a force that unites, not necessarily divides. Its potential must be recognised, not feared.

As Karen Armstrong, one of the world’s leading thinkers on comparative religion, has rightly noted, every single one of the world’s major religions accords pride of place to the concept of compassion – the ability to feel with the other. The Golden Rule in all religions is ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. This, if applied with true religiosity, helps adherents to view matters in a much broader – not narrower – perspective.

The real problem in my view, is not increased spirituality, which by itself would most certainly be a welcome development. Rather, it is the shrinking space for religious freedom, expression and most importantly, tolerance. Sri Lanka’s recent history, unfortunately, is littered with incidents that point not to the country’s supposed religiosity but to growing intolerance of differences. This is borne out in the recent spate of attacks on minority-owned business and places of worship in the country, and also in the manner in which advocates for minority rights have been targeted for their activism.
Threats, intimidation and hate speech as well as direct attacks on religiously and culturally distinct communities have no place in a civilised, democratic society. While it is absolutely necessary to bridge the gap that exists in terms of legal action taken against perpetrators of such acts, this alone will not suffice to promote sensitivity and confront intolerance. As evidenced in Aluthgama, where tolerance has a weak societal foundation, it is easy for political entrepreneurs to mobilise mobs to wreak havoc on innocents.

Promoting tolerance at the community level is an area where intervention is required. The business community, the Chambers in particular, can play a vital role in rolling back the rising tide of intolerance. Protecting religious freedom and promoting a culture of mutual respect and tolerance will help create a climate that is conducive for sustainable development. Businesses must support religious beliefs and practices both internally, and at the community and national levels as it will be beneficial for them as well as the country, generating long-term economic benefits.

Religious intolerance and economic prosperity cannot co-exist. A 2014 study by researchers in Georgetown University and Brigham Young University identified freedom of belief is one of vital factors that contribute to economic success. The study looked at the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of 143 countries while controlling for other theoretical, economic, political, social, and demographic factors. Further, it found that innovative strength was more than twice as likely in countries with low religious restrictions and hostilities. The study noted:

 “…religious hostilities and restrictions create climates that can drive away local and foreign investment, undermine sustainable development, and disrupt huge sectors of economies. Such has occurred in the ongoing cycle of religious regulation and hostilities in Egypt, which has adversely affected the tourism industry, among other sectors. Perhaps most significant for future economic growth… young entrepreneurs are pushed to take their talents elsewhere due to the instability associated with high and rising religious restrictions and hostilities.”

Space to flourish

Religious influence on society is not an entirely new concern as noted previously nor is it one that is unique to Sri Lanka. But the role of religion in society is not one that is always fully understood by secularists as a result of which they can at times be anti-religious in outlook. All religions should have the space to flourish; across the board they all incorporate principles of peace, justice and equality and these are the values that have to be tapped into in order to build a culture of tolerance.
Those who feel strongly connected to their religious and cultural beliefs as well as their social systems often feel threatened when outsiders try to ‘reform’ or ‘interfere with’ their way of life. Karen Armstrong has argued quite convincingly that secularisation when applied forcibly has provoked a fundamentalist reaction and history shows that movements which come under attack invariably grow more extreme, as the Middle-Eastern experience exemplifies.  

Moving forward

Sri Lanka is at a juncture where the issue of religious intolerance has to be earnestly addressed. The country’s national debt is a huge concern as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has acknowledged. At the foundation-stone laying ceremony for the Viyathpura Green Professional City in Pannipitiya on 17 July, the PM stated that the total debt which the country has to repay within the next three years is Rs. 4.2 trillion. He stressed the need to build up a competitive market economy if the country was to be debt free.

Deputy Minister of Policy Planning and Economic Development Dr Harsha De Silva at a recent panel discussion on the benefits of the GSP Plus trade concessions called for a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, and the need to move away from a culture of entitlement to overcome the challenges facing the country. Businesses can help create an environment for this.

One of the ways they can do this is by articulating their opposition to intolerance and being proactive in discouraging religious confrontations. They can also step in as agents of peacebuilding and formulate long-term strategies to foster cross-cultural understanding as part of their CSR initiatives.

Together with religious leaders, they can identify places that are susceptible to outbreaks of religious hostilities, and draw up and support programmes to encourage inter-faith dialogue, social harmony and justice with a view to repairing damaged social relationships over a period of time.

Sri Lanka is also in dire need of foreign investment to create opportunities for growth, particularly in the country’s poorest districts. Last year saw FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) slump 54% to USD 450 million compared to USD 970 million the previous year which International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickreme himself admitted was “extremely low by any standard”.

If Sri Lanka is to gain a reputation as an attractive destination for international business, religious intolerance needs to a part of our history, not future. Furthermore, religion need not be viewed suspiciously or contemptuously. In a world where religion has been hijacked, an unhealthy and unwarranted fear of religion is exactly what zealots want. We must avoid playing into their hands.

Mangala responds to GL: The ICC doesn’t have jurisdiction over SL

Finance and Mass Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera

The following is a response sent to us by Finance and Mass Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera.

2017-08-01

International legal practitioners both here in Sri Lanka and overseas have expressed their utter shock at the purported opinion expressed by Professor G.L. Peiris in the Daily Mirror  of 21st July, 2017, which isn’t only legally fundamentally flawed, but is also factually false. The question is if Professor Peiris has committed violence to the law in sheer ignorance of the law or being fully aware of the law, he deliberately attempts to mislead the public in the interest of narrow political gains. We leave it to the public to decide.   

Mangala responds to GL The ICC doesn’t have jurisdiction over SL.docx by Thavam on Scribd

CCC presents recommendations to FM to fast-track PPPs under new agency

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce’s (CCC) National Agenda Committee (NAC) on Infrastructure presented a set of recommendations on fast-tracking Private-Public Partnerships (PPP) to Minister of Finance and Media Mangala Samaraweera recently and highlighted the need for a robust institutional and operational set up for the new PPP agency.

At a meeting held recently, the group presented their recommendations to the Minister and Ministry officials A. R. Desapriya (Deputy Secretary to the Treasury), K. A. Vimalenthirarajah (Director General of the Department of Trade and Investment Policy) and Deshal De Mel (Economic Advisor to the Ministry of Finance) and discussed priority issues to be tackled and ways of collaborating to advance the PPP investment agenda in Sri Lanka.

The NAC on Infrastructure first made representations to the Ministry of Finance in October 2016, on the need for PPPs and to establish a robust mechanism for dealing with PPPs in a transparent and profitable manner.

This subsequently saw the setting up of a PPP unit and a national PPP initiative, which was launched amidst 100 foreign investors at the Chamber’s Investment and Business Conclave 2017 held recently.

The Committee’s latest set of recommendations which focussed on developing guidelines to ensure efficient collaboration between the PPP unit and line ministries; prioritization of projects through developing a robust project pipeline; ensuring a fair, transparent and well managed procurement process; as well as implementing an effective communication strategy were well received by Minister Samaraweera.

The Chamber Committee and Ministry officials pledged to collaborate closely to promote PPP investment opportunities among domestic and international investors through the CCC.

The NAC on Infrastructure comprises leaders in private and public sectors with experience in infrastructure development, as well as representatives of multilateral development agencies. Since last year, the NAC has been continuously lobbying for the facilitation and fast-tracking of PPPs.

The Need To Reveal The Public Interest Information Re Controversial Penthouse?

By Chandra Jayaratne –AUGUST 1, 2017

Chandra Jayaratne

The Public Interest Information re Controversial Penthouse will be answered by the relevant parties by responding to the undernoted questions:

1. Details of the respective Lessees, Tenants and Owners of the property, during the period January 2015 to June 2017, along with any relevant changes and effective dates of change?

2. If a Company was the Lessee, Tenant or Owner of the property during this time,

a) Whether a private or public company?

b) the names of shareholders and directors of the company, along with their respective levels of shareholding interests and dates of change?, and

c) the primary business activity of the entity?

3. If any shareholder or director of the entity was a non resident, confirmation that the relevant and applicable statutory and regulatory compliance processes had been duly adopted in the allotment of shares and the appointment as directors?.

4. If any of the individual or companies, who were Lessees, Tenants  and Owners of the property were deemed to comprise of any Politically Exposed Persons or persons closely related to such persons, were the required reviews and approvals processes complied with by the professionals, lawyers, bankers etc, involved ;

a) When opening banking relationships?

b) in the subsequent processing of financial transactions or contracting ?

c) in the assessment of requests for loans or credit facilities from Banks?

d) grant of loans and credit facilities by Banks,

in line with the Financial Action Task Force Guidelines covering Politically Exposed persons?

5. When the persons or entity in question took steps to settle significantly high value loan repayments in cash, did the relevant Banks in question take steps to raise Suspicious Transactions Reports in compliance with the directions issued by the Financial Investigations Unit?

6. From which sources did the non-resident director/chairman access the significantly large cash holdings to be deposited in the safe of the business entity? Were these from existing holdings in local banks? If so did such bank validate the reasons for the draw-down of such cash in currency notes? and did they raise suspicious transaction reports? Or were these currency notes secured by way of inward remittances en-cashed locally or did he bring over currency notes from overseas? and If so did such bank validate the reasons for the draw-down of such cash in currency and raise suspicious transaction reports? What denomination were the notes in and were they all new Rs. 5000/= currency notes?

7. If Suspicious Transaction Reports were raised in the instances 5 and 6 above, what action was taken by the Financial Investigations Unit?

8. Have the banks in question, which received such significant cash payments a record of the currency note serial numbers and did they validate the said numbers with the declared source of notes?

9. How did the Accountants and the Auditors of the entities engaged, account for and treat the cash payments made by third parties as lease rentals, cash holdings and cash payments in loan settlements, in preparing the Accounting statements of the entities, especially

a) the cash receipts and cash deposits in banks and cash payments to the lessors of the property?

b) the Cash receipts kept in the safe?

c) The Cash payments made to lenders as repayment of loans, using the cash in the safe?

d) Did they by way of any notes to the accounts disclose in these instances, any consequential conflicts of interests and any related party transactions?

e) Were the cash in safe under insurance cover and were the extents of holding declared to Insurers were these declarations seen by Accountants and auditors?

f) Were these transactions including third party lease rent payments queried by the internal or external auditors of the entities concerned?

g) Did the formal minutes of the entities, including those making unrelated third party payments note these transactions?

h) Were there any references in the Management letters of the auditors to any of the above entities regards these transactions

i) Were the Accounts qualified or these transactions subject to highlight by the auditors?

10. How were these transactions accounted for in Tax Accounts and Tax returns of the entities and individuals concerned? The apartment having been used by directors of the entity, was any Payee or other taxation payments made on account of non cash benefits of the said directors, in their occupation of a leased property at first and an owned property subsequently?

11. Had the revised Code of Ethics of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, now in force been applicable then, would professional Accountants involved in these entities in any capacity, including as accountants and auditors, taken due steps in line with the said Code to have responded to these significant non compliance with laws and regulations (NOCLAR) ?

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