Detractors have a say, Govt. has his way

A debate on the Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement took place Tuesday in Parliament where several members expressed their views. Here are excerpts from the speeches.

UPFA MP (Leader of the Joint Opposition Group) Dinesh Gunawardena:

ALE was signed but, neither the country nor the Parliament were kept informed. If the Singapore Government and the Sri Lankan Government enter into an agreement of this nature, it must be approved by Parliament and, if there is no approval by Parliament, it There is no validity. The Minister (Development Strategies and International Trade) Malik Samarawickrema must know that he can not act alone and sign secret agreements and understandings. I hope the minister will understand that. You do not have Cabinet approval to affix your signature and enter this Agreement. You have only submitted a Cabinet Memorandum that has never been approved by the Cabinet, for you to proceed as well.

This Agreement is in violation of Article 157 of the Constitution, which deals with treaties and international agreements. It states: "When Parliament, by resolution, has passed by at least two-thirds of the total number of deputies (including those who are not present) voting in its favor, approves as being essential for the development of the institution. national economy, any treaty or agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka and the government of any foreign state for the promotion and protection of investments in Sri Lanka of that foreign state, its nationals, or incorporated companies, corporations and other associations. established in accordance with its laws, such treaty or agreement has the force of law in Sri Lanka and in the interests of national security, no written law shall be promulgated or adopted, and any administrative or executive action shall be taken in contravention of the provisions of this treaty. or Agreement. "

This government has set aside section 157 and is acting on its whims Foreign experts and consultants you hire may be ignorant of the Constitution.This agreement will destroy the local industry. [19659003] Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama:

Our Government is committed to helping and improving local industries, but assistance does not mean protectionism. Sri Lanka-Singapore provides for a binding commitment and framework for bilateral trade and investment, which we did not have before.Let me deal with some of the frequent allegations made against the FTA. and some of the myths that are conveyed, both inside and outside the House.The first allegation is that the signing of this FTA did not receive the Cabinet approval Cabinet du mini was updated for the first time in an interim report in August 2017 on progress made, including the areas and extent of liberalization and the status of the consultative process with stakeholders. On December 21, 2017, I submitted a Cabinet document containing the draft agreement. On this basis, positive comments were made by the Chair and 14 other Ministers on 9 January 2018. Based on these observations, a revised agreement was submitted to Cabinet for approval. At the 16 January Council of Ministers, the Council of Ministers approved the agreement submitted and authorized me to sign it during the visit of the Prime Minister of Singapore on 23 January. The agreement came into effect on May 1 after the Anti-Dumping Agreement. The Countervailing Duty Bill and the Safeguard Bill were passed in Parliament. Under the Sri Lankan-Singapore FTA, there can only be service workers who belong to a company here. It is still related to investment in Sri Lanka.

Another argument is that non-Singaporeans can take unfair advantage of this FTA. This is still an unfounded claim. This agreement defines "national" as a Singapore citizen or a permanent resident (PR) of Singapore. Getting public relations in Singapore is not so easy, as you know.

Opposition Leader Rajavarothiam Sampanthan:

When Singapore acceded to independence, its legendary leader, Singapore's first prime minister, the late Lee Kuan Yew modeled the development of Singapore in Sri Lanka. Singapore was a backward city-state. He saw Sri Lanka as a country that developed and prospered after independence, with an effective public service, an effective educational system even at the university level, and wanted to shape Singapore's development in Sri Lanka. But, over time, it became clear that as Singapore advanced into several regions and became a prosperous country, Sri Lanka retreated and retreated.

In Singapore, good governance is based on five principles. The first is meritocracy. You are judged on the basis of merit; not on the basis of political influence, not on any other consideration. The second is ethnic harmony. They give recognition to all people living in Singapore. There is complete equality; there is no discrimination; there is no denial of everyone. The third is a clean government. Corruption is not tolerated; corruption is not tolerated. The fourth is the rule of law. The rule of law is strictly enforced, regardless of who you are. The last principle is social equity. Whether it is in the field of health, education, employment or development, there is equity, equality …

Singapore does not need to be in the same place. an FTA with us. Singapore has gone so far from us. People in Singapore earn more than a hundred times what we earn. So, Singapore does not need an FTA with us. It is we who need an FTA with Singapore

I would therefore urge the government, if there are corrections to be made to the agreement, to bring these corrections, but to implement the agreement for the benefit of our country, use the expertise of Singapore, use the technology that Singapore can provide you, use the services that Singapore can provide you and develop the economy of our country because this country must be developed. This country must go forward. Our people suffer from a decrease in the quality of life.