and as its controlling shareholder, SLI, then invited the defense secretary to join the new board as chairman.
However, recently the media connected to business mafia has indicated that the former Apollo Hospital was bought over by Mr. Rajapaksa, which has led to these changes in the name and identity of the hospital.
The inception of the SLIC
Sri Lanka Insurance was incorporated by a special act of Parliament in 1961. It was formed by nationalizing the insurance industry to serve the nation with better social security benefits.
The UNP Politico-Business Mafia in action
It was subsequently sold to the "Distilleries-Spence Consortium" under the Government Privatization Plan during Ranil Wickramasinghe’s UNP government in April 2003. On 4th June 2009, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka annulled the sale of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation in 2003. As such Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC was ordered to return its stake in Sri Lanka Insurance to the government treasury.
The Distilleries – Appalo regime
It is well known fact that Harry Jayawardana is a shrewd businessman who cares only about money and not how it is earned. Honeymoon of Harry’s corrupt business mafia was peaked during CBK-Ranil era. It was once reported that he has guts to point a pistol towards a custom officer who entered his office for a raid (Ref: Stassen: bang, bang, bang | Sunday Times).
It is this type of people that take control of health industry under capitalism. A national asset is a just another piece of cake for their money hunger. An ailing person is just another consumer for exploitation. It is under capitalism that business of liquor and drugs co-habit.
A lesson from the success of SLT
When Sri Lanka Telecom was performing poorly under state administration, the UNP government privatized it with all decision making powers vested on a Japanese company. We all witnessed how this Japanese company exploited Sri Lankan consumers under their control.
It is after Japanese investors left the country that common people of the country started getting the true benefits of SLT with lower tariff rates. SLT chairman Thilanga Sumathipala took a radical decision to take over Mobitel which was under an Australian company.
Until that time there were three main mobile operation networks in Sri Lanka namely Celltel, Dialog and Mobitel. The pro capitalist economic guru’s preached that competition among these providers should lead to lower tariff. However, in reality there was firm consensus among these private companies on the tariff rates so that they collectively exploited Sri Lankan consumers and amassed huge profit. During their hay days, those multinational companies pumped out billions of Sri Lankan money out of the country.
The moment state governed Mobitel entered in to the market, all those fully private owned mobile operators were no longer able to exploit consumers. Now only they are facing true challenge of getting profits while doing just business. Those arrogant exploiters are now finding it difficult to face the real challenge and gradually swept out of the business while real competitors are surviving.
Government’s involvement in Health Sector
The government’s involvement in health sector in Sri Lanka is commendable. However so far it has mainly concentrating on developing public health service in traditional welfare mind set.
The new battlefield for Gotabaya
Government’s enter into Private Health Sector has opened a new battle field in curbing exploitation of sick people for the benefit of money hungry capitalists. We all know that Drug and Health industry is only second in wealth to the arms and ammunition industry. Although there are multiple players in private health industry they all are in consensus on pricing. The health bills are in Thousands and millions which is not at all affordable to the common people of the country. These shrewd businessmen have bind health industry tightly with their insurance industry too so that they get profits in both ends.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa has already won the battle against terrorism and sealed operations of Arms industry in Sri Lanka. If he did not send back the last two shipments of ammunition after winning the battle against terrorism, the people making headlines may still be in his accompany.
He is now appointed by president Rajapaksa to a curb another mafia the in the name of Health Business. No wonder why waged writers in the media circle now challenge and attack Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa on his new battle field.
Our motherland, after three decades of terrorism, too stands on the throes of change. United as one country and one people, Sri Lanka stands on the verge of a catalytic rise in economic accomplishments. As citizens, ours is a role to precipitate this move towards achieving great heights in economic, infrastructural and social development. There will be plenty of pitfalls on the way by the vicious International and local elements. Still we as Sri Lankan nation are rising to a new height with firm commitment and dedication.
Related posts:
- Is Sri Lanka Insurance still under Stassen Group? (21 Nov 2009)
- The new partners of Politics: Business, Media and Marketing. (20 Nov 2007)
References:
- Stassen: bang, bang, bang! Right or left, how will Harry get out of the mess? (Sunday Times, Sept 1997)
- Distinguished leadership at Lanka Hospitals (Divaina)
- Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC
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