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Easy from the other side

10 Aug 2021

It is easy to proffer advice, put forward proposals, and make recommendations when you do not have any responsibility to take action. But when you are the decision-maker and the decision-implementing body, addressing problems means something extremely different to merely saying what should be done. The Covid-19 pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to the people’s health, economy, and day-to-day activities, and there is no doubt or argument that the Government has to do something more than it is doing at present. The million-dollar question is, what steps should the Government take? There are many – especially political parties – who are ready to tell the Government what to do, even though they do not share much on the aspect of how to do it. Pointing out the worsening pandemic situation – especially the rising number of deaths, which has exceeded 100 per day, the spread of the highly transmissible B.1.617.2 Delta Indian variant of Covid-19, and the exhausting of the healthcare sector’s resources – leading Opposition parties, including the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the National People’s Power (NPP), urged the Government this week to impose a nationwide lockdown in order to contain the situation. As the said parties have suggested, limiting people’s travel and encouraging them to take the Covid-19 safety guidelines more seriously, are the most obvious measures that any party can point out. But, whether the Sri Lankan Government can afford to take such measures without a proper plan to survive another lockdown, is a question that calls for serious discussion; in a context where the country’s economy is hanging by a thread, and the financial state of the people and businesses, on which the country’s economy depends, is also not in a very good state. We have to come to terms with the reality that even though Sri Lanka was in a position to sustain months-long lockdowns in the initial stages of the pandemic, the situation is not the same now. The pandemic affected different sectors differently; as far as the economies of different sectors are concerned, the informal sector employees, most of whom are daily or minimum wage earners, were the most affected. This was mostly due to the nature of their sector, which lacks legal protection and recognition, resulting in them receiving inadequate support from the existing system during a pandemic. Even though they are almost invisible in the gamut of the workforce affected by the pandemic, according to a 2020 World Bank (WB) report, they constitute approximately 70% of the country’s workforce. In the event of another lockdown, which the Government has not ruled out, the informal sector employees are most likely to experience the worst consequences of such a decision. This is mainly due to the nature of their profession, as it involves travelling to various places and meeting various people, which is a big no in the context of a rapidly spreading pandemic. Also, working from home, or access to technology to continue to work during a lockdown, are not easy in many informal sector professions due to the nature of their profession, not to mention the lack of resources and them not being that tech savvy. Those are, therefore, not viable options in many cases. The bottom line is, suggesting the imposition of lockdowns and travel restrictions, and perhaps even taking such measures, is not difficult and can help to control the pandemic situation. However, though the Opposition’s contribution in actively and critically participating in the country’s affairs is admirable, their contribution should include tangible and practical proposals. It is easier to say what to do when you are not the one who has to do it. Saving the country from the pandemic is the priority at present; however, if those attempting to save the country, including the Opposition, do not bring to the table well-planned, long-term solutions, the Covid-19-hit country will be in a more difficult situation.


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