Professional Analyst.

The Government strategy is to promote Sri Lanka as a model tourism destination to improve the global image of Sri Lanka by creating a conducive tourism environment and improving domestic tourism, benefiting from the countryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s natural, cultural and historical diversity and ensure to cater 2.5 million tourist arrivals by 2016. The Hon. Ministers of Finance and Planning and Ministry of Economic Affairs have laid down guidelines for this as recommended by the Secretary of both these Ministries, Mr. P.B. Jayasundera.

Officials of the caliber of this official are an asset to the Nation. People like UNP National Organiser Daya Gamage when he was speaking at a luncheon meeting hosted by Norwegian Ambassador Hilde Haraldstad at her official residence, No 23, GregoryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Road, Colombo 7 as stated in the Island of today. These people know nothing rather than to swindle state resources, and now they want to sabotage the economic development of the nation by making false statements and allegations about the government and itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s top officials toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a gathering of top executives of companies doing business in Norway were diplomats from several other diplomatic missions in Colombo were also present.

It is very clear that some of the members of the International community, while engaged in conspiracies in their country territories, have now attempted to gather important personalities in their diplomatic and residential places, which under International Law and Relations enjoys the privilege of being an extended part of their Sovereign country in the territory of the Sovereign state of Sri Lanka, to continue the conspiracies against our Motherland, which they have been carrying on in their countries.

Rather than making this type of conspiracies, it would have been objective and proactive for the Norwegian Ambassador Hilde Haraldstad to have arranged a positive investor group from Norway to Sri Lanka and requested BOI, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Planning and Dr. P.B. Jayasundera to address them, rather than give platforms to Anti-Sri Lanka elements to damage the socio-economical and infrastructure and development of our country. It should also be noted that Dr. P.B. Jayasundera is a personality of a different caliber.

The new plans for tourist development are part of the fast-track strategies the government is trying to put in place to help the economical upliftment of the nation. The vision of this man is “great” and he is a “doer”. That makes him a difficult “boss” to work with.

Why cannot the government officials, politicians and the business magnates give heed to this person’s vision and listen to him. An example of the self determination to be a free Nation from the crutches of foreign economical dominance and self reliance as what India is today, from the crutches of foreign economical dominance and self reliance, is how Mahathma Ghandi inspired the India.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  When Mahathma Ghandi saw that the British ships carrying riches of India to Europe/Briton and was sending SALT in their empty merchant vessels, he just took a handful of SALT and went to the beach and threw it into the sea. The astonished Indians asked the Mahathma, why he did so.

The answer was, India is surrounded by sea and yet we are still depended on the SALT the British exports to us in order not to allow their empty ships to sail back on their return journey after taking our riches/produce to Europe/Briton. WHY CANNOT WE PRODUCE OUR OWN SALT? The Mahatma’s vision then has made India one of the world’s largest producers and exporter of SALT to the Far-east and Europe. Even Sri Lanka imports SALT from India. Shame, Sri Lanka too being surrounded by the sea imports 38% of it’s requirement of SALT every year, mostly from India. Is not the vision of Dr. P.B. Jayasundera the same as that of the Mahathma Gandhi of India.