In a context where most essential services are struggling to provide services while some remain on the verge of total collapse due to the economic crisis, in an Extraordinary Gazette dated 3 July, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared several such struggling services essential services. Among them are services connected to the supply of electricity, the supply and distribution of petroleum products and fuel, and the maintenance and provision of services at hospitals, nursing homes, dispensaries, and similar institutions.
It is too early to assume as to what sort of impacts that declaring these services essential services will cause. In a context where the importance of these services in people’s everyday life has risen during the past few months, declaring them essential services could increase their recognition and accountability, and emphasise their responsibilities. At the same time, since those working in essential services are not allowed to strike (by withdrawing from work) like those working in institutions not categorised as essential services, this could also help maintain uninterrupted services.
What the President expected to come of this decision remains unclear. However, irrespective of the fact that these services did not have the “essential services” label before, they were essential services to the public, and some of them, especially hospitals, were given priority due to the extremely valuable services that they provide. However, being considered or declared an essential service can have very little impact on the people’s lives if these institutions do not have the necessary resources and support to provide uninterrupted services, as therefore, merely being declared an essential service will not lead to anything tangible, and will not mean anything to the people.
The three types of service mentioned in the Gazette are currently in extremely unstable states. Essential services provided by major institutions coming under them – such as the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), and hospitals – have almost come to a halt, with no clear or promising way of recovery. Fuel shortages experienced by the power and energy sectors, and the fuel and drug shortages experienced by the health sector, are major concerns, and they are not going to be resolved through a mere Gazette notification declaring them essential services. Therefore, the Government, and especially the President, should understand what the country’s priorities are, and stop dressing up random decisions with no clear purpose as solutions to give the people a false sense of reassurance.
Put simply, the people do not want any service to be declared an essential service. They merely want those services to provide the services that they are expected to provide, in a way that does not inconvenience the people.
To enable these three types of services to provide their services in a people-friendly manner, first and foremost, the shortages, especially the fuel shortage, should be addressed. At the same time, the corruption and wastage that have swallowed the country’s power and energy sector, some of which were revealed before the Committee on Public Enterprises a few weeks ago, should be dealt with. What is more, instead of trying to cover mammoth losses while allowing loss-making projects and activ power and energy sectors should be restructured to prevent and reduce losses.
At the same time, genuine political will is essential to make all public sectors, including the said three sectors, efficient. The political authority should look at the issues in those sectors, instead of giving them an “essential service” label that does not have any real value. At least now, they should understand that distractions cannot save the country.
We are living in a time where Sri Lankans are demanding genuine, tangible change. It is high time to do away with meaningless labels, fake promises, and short-sighted plans, and do what leads to actual change, even if it is on a small scale. When that happens, we will no longer have a need to label services as essential or non-essential to ensure they continue.‘Essentially’ meaningless
05 Jul 2022
‘Essentially’ meaningless
05 Jul 2022
In a context where most essential services are struggling to provide services while some remain on the verge of total collapse due to the economic crisis, in an Extraordinary Gazette dated 3 July, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared several such struggling services essential services. Among them are services connected to the supply of electricity, the supply and distribution of petroleum products and fuel, and the maintenance and provision of services at hospitals, nursing homes, dispensaries, and similar institutions.
It is too early to assume as to what sort of impacts that declaring these services essential services will cause. In a context where the importance of these services in people’s everyday life has risen during the past few months, declaring them essential services could increase their recognition and accountability, and emphasise their responsibilities. At the same time, since those working in essential services are not allowed to strike (by withdrawing from work) like those working in institutions not categorised as essential services, this could also help maintain uninterrupted services.
What the President expected to come of this decision remains unclear. However, irrespective of the fact that these services did not have the “essential services” label before, they were essential services to the public, and some of them, especially hospitals, were given priority due to the extremely valuable services that they provide. However, being considered or declared an essential service can have very little impact on the people’s lives if these institutions do not have the necessary resources and support to provide uninterrupted services, as therefore, merely being declared an essential service will not lead to anything tangible, and will not mean anything to the people.
The three types of service mentioned in the Gazette are currently in extremely unstable states. Essential services provided by major institutions coming under them – such as the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), and hospitals – have almost come to a halt, with no clear or promising way of recovery. Fuel shortages experienced by the power and energy sectors, and the fuel and drug shortages experienced by the health sector, are major concerns, and they are not going to be resolved through a mere Gazette notification declaring them essential services. Therefore, the Government, and especially the President, should understand what the country’s priorities are, and stop dressing up random decisions with no clear purpose as solutions to give the people a false sense of reassurance.
Put simply, the people do not want any service to be declared an essential service. They merely want those services to provide the services that they are expected to provide, in a way that does not inconvenience the people.
To enable these three types of services to provide their services in a people-friendly manner, first and foremost, the shortages, especially the fuel shortage, should be addressed. At the same time, the corruption and wastage that have swallowed the country’s power and energy sector, some of which were revealed before the Committee on Public Enterprises a few weeks ago, should be dealt with. What is more, instead of trying to cover mammoth losses while allowing loss-making projects and activ power and energy sectors should be restructured to prevent and reduce losses.
At the same time, genuine political will is essential to make all public sectors, including the said three sectors, efficient. The political authority should look at the issues in those sectors, instead of giving them an “essential service” label that does not have any real value. At least now, they should understand that distractions cannot save the country.
We are living in a time where Sri Lankans are demanding genuine, tangible change. It is high time to do away with meaningless labels, fake promises, and short-sighted plans, and do what leads to actual change, even if it is on a small scale. When that happens, we will no longer have a need to label services as essential or non-essential to ensure they continue.Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!