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More democratic, less arbitrary decision making

20 Oct 2022

Amidst opposition from petroleum sector trade unions and certain political parties, on Tuesday (18), Parliament passed the Petroleum Products (Special Provisions) (Amendment) Bill, with the hope and promise that it will facilitate the liberalisation of petroleum imports, among other petroleum-related services.  Both in terms of the influence that the petroleum based energy sector has on the country and the nature of the changes that the Bill is expected to bring about, this is a decisive move for Sri Lanka, considering that it is dealing with a fuel crisis. There are diverse sentiments about the Government’s decision and about the trade unions’ concerns. The general public’s opinion – the opinion that matters the most – predominantly supports the Government in this case. Their pro-Government and anti-Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) sentiments are based mainly on allegations and the proof of waste, inefficiency, and corruption in the CPC. However, during the protests that were held against the said Bill, trade unions raised several concerns that appear serious, although how valid they are remains in question. They argued that instead of breaking the CPC’s monopoly in importing and distributing petroleum products, this Bill will weaken the country’s petroleum-based energy sector. In addition to appealing that the Government not pass this Bill, they requested that the passing of the Bill be halted provisionally, and that Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera meet them to discuss their concerns. While petroleum sector trade unions are often perceived as those who demand things that are disadvantageous to the general public, their concerns cannot be ignored. Before accepting or rejecting their opinions, they should first be given a chance to express them. In addition, the Government has a duty to at least listen to opinions that are likely to matter. However, the Bill was passed in Parliament with no discussions with those trade unions.  In fact, it is not just the concerns of those trade unions that need to be taken into account. At a time when the country is experiencing an almost unmanageable economic crisis due to short-sighted decisions, the opinions of any stakeholder that matters should be taken into account, which is one way of avoiding a repeat of the mistakes made by the previous administration.  As has been stressed repeatedly, the authorities need to be more decisive than before when making decisions at this juncture, as even minor decisions could have a considerable impact on the meagre economic and social stability that the country has achieved. To ensure that decision making processes, especially those related to goods that are in scarce supply, are conducive to the people and the economy, the Government must take into account the opinions of crucial stakeholders, mainly the general public, trade unions, and experts such as economists and sociologists. That is not to say that the Government’s decisions should be shaped in line with every stakeholder’s opinion. This is not a matter of accepting everyone’s opinions. This is more about allowing every party that is affected by the Government’s decisions to have their say in the matter. However, it is not mere discussions seeking media attention, but an honest evaluation of different opinions, that can help the Government make judicious, people-centric decisions. It is time for the Government to understand that its decisions can no longer be “Government decision”, but that they should be the country’s decisions.


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