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Timely relief for the consumer

The drastic reduction in the prices of a number of essential commodities on the direction of the Cabinet sub-committee headed by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, which was charged with reducing the cost of living burden, should bring a smile of satisfaction to many a lip.

As indicated by us yesterday, besides doing away with the import duty on rice and thereby bringing down the prices of numerous varieties of this commodity, price declines would be registered against a range of essentials, including sugar and dhall. Theoretically, the overall impact of these price changes should be a reduction in the cost of living.

The relief thus provided on the cost of living front amounts to the fulfilment of an important election pledge by the Government. Bringing down the cost of living was a vital election pledge by the UPFA.

While the UNF has made the cost-of-living the principal issue in an anti-government agitational campaign, the latest moves by the Government to bring down living costs, would reduce this anti-UPFA propaganda drive to a damp squib. The opposition, thus, has no case and all its strident yells would be mere "sound and fury."

Therefore, the much looked forward to relief has arrived without much ado and delay. We hope the cost of living would remain at bearable levels once the relevant changes are made. It is also our wish that the hearts of the majority of the people, who are poor, would now be filled with gladness.

However, the battle against living costs doesn't end here. The authorities should now ensure that the relief in focus is passed on to the people. The people do not expect the Government to look on impassively while errant traders continue in their old set ways.

The relevant institutional mechanisms should be in place to ensure that prices are at the levels dictated by the Government. Bodies, such as the Consumer Affairs Authority, need to be constantly on the alert to ensure that the consumer is not exploited and milked dry by unscrupulous traders. In short, the Government is expected to assert and enforce its authority.

It is crucial that the Government and its functionaries lead by example, in these challenging times. Ideally, a spirit of austerity and sacrifice should reign at all levels of government. President Kumaratunga did right by imposing norms of responsible conduct on her Ministers.

For instance, too many trips abroad by Ministers and State officials were curtailed by the President. This is as it should be. We expect the President's team of Ministers to cooperate fully in implementing this code of conduct.

Cost-cutting should be the order of the day on all fronts.

Policing the Police

Several recent incidents involving the police have tainted its image in the public eye. The latest is the death of restaurant manager Herman Quintus Perera on World Temperance Day (October 3). Perera succumbed to his injuries following an alleged assault by four Polonnaruwa vice squad officers, no less.

According to reports, Perera paid the ultimate price for adhering to a Government directive to keep liquor outlets closed on this day.

A couple of weeks earlier, several vice squad officers in Colombo 'raided' a nightclub in Colombo and later threatened a Thai national, whose car they conveniently 'borrowed'. Several policemen involved in this sordid episode have been identified by witnesses at an identification parade.

These are just two incidents that prove that all is not right with the police service. New IGP Chandra Fernando has an enormous task on his hands: Cleansing the police of bad eggs that bring the whole Police department into disrepute and restoring public confidence in the men in Khaki.

Fernando has hit the right note soon after assuming office, by instructing an SP of Anuradhapura Division to carry out an impartial inquiry into the restaurant episode. The IGP has vowed that action would be taken to ensure transparency in the investigation. All culprits will be brought to book, the IGP has said.

Clearly, such internal investigations will take public attention - and precious resources - away from the police's actual role: Fighting crime. But putting its own house in order has necessarily become a priority. If certain policemen are engaged in crime themselves, either on their own or worse, in unison with elements of the underworld, the Police are facing a very serious predicament.

The Police Department and the National Police Commission must address this issue urgently. There should be no mercy for policemen who have violated the country's laws.

Both the outgoing IGP Indra de Silva and the new IGP have emphasised the importance of building a closer rapport with the public. The recent incidents will not positively contribute towards this aim. Gone were the days when the Men in Khaki commanded awe and respect. The Police must strive to restore that status quo.

Politicisation has been the bane of the police. There have been numerous instances of politically motivated transfers and promotions within the police. Good men have been despatched to the far corners while known bad eggs have been promoted. There have also been many instances of politicos storming into police stations to 'rescue' their henchmen.

The Police should put this era behind them and move ahead as a fully impartial, professional outfit. With a new IGP at the helm, it can make a fresh start to win the hearts of all Lankans.

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