Government stands vindicated

That the Government's resistance to EU dictates to comply with human rights guidelines to qualify for GSP, paid off in the end, could be termed a victory for all Sri Lankans who put country first before any other consideration.

There was tremendous pressure from several quarters for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to abide by the requests of the EU, fearing a collapse of the garment industry and a loss of over 200,000 jobs in the garment sector.

This is in addition to the not so subtle campaign by the main opposition to place road blocks to the country receiving this concession with no less a personage than the leader of opposition making this a prime issue during his many visits to the EU countries. The garment industry bosses too were sounding alarm bells.

That the Government did not relent and was vindicated in it's stand in the end is surely going to win many laurels for President Rajapaksa among all patriotic Lankans.

Sri Lanka was one of 16 developing countries to which the concession has been extended for a further three years. In a way it could also be an endorsement of the economic direction pursued by the Government by the EU and an approval of the fiscal management as a whole. Surely no economic concessions are handed out lightly by individual countries or blocs especially in the current context of a global economic meltdown that is sweeping across EU countries.

The Government could also justifiably pat itself on it's back for emerging victorious overcoming the threat of the withdrawal of the GSP by the EU on the grounds of alleged human rights violations. In this respect all credit is due to President Mahinda Rajapaksa for refusing to compromise the country's dignity and honour in return for economic gains.

The President's message was clear. If the EU decides to deny this concession unless the Government comply with certain guideline vis-à-vis human rights, so be it. It was pointed out by Professor G.L. Peiris that the GSP came into being only three years ago in 2005 and that our garment industry had already a firm foothold in the international market. Therefore there was no undue alarm.

In any case the President had already announced a rescue package for the garment industry in a worse case scenario. That President Rajapaksa did not blink even in the face of a threat of a withdrawal of the GSP concession, which amounted to an economic embargo of sorts, is testimony to a new assertiveness displayed by the present Government under international pressure.

The UNP was all agog about the danger of the country losing the GSP facility which was an example of its siege mentality. That it would tamely succumb to international blackmail is all too well known from it's past record. Time was when the party was a captive of western interests and did their bidding without batting an eyelid to the great detriment of the country.

At the time it was famously said the country's budget was prepared to the dictates of the IMF and the World Bank. Not even the UNP is today making such an accusation against the Government.

It's concerted campaign urging the Government to comply with EU guidelines for the GSP facility shows how it would have caved in had it been in power. It is this brazen kowtowing to western interests even compromising the sovereignty of the country, which has come to haunt the party and affected it's electoral fortunes over the years. It is this difference in attitude between the two parties vis-à-vis the country's sovereignty that have today come to define their respective political fortunes.

All Sri Lankans no doubt would salute the Government for this uncompromising stand and it's will to stand up to the world's economic powers who try to impose their will on small nations.

The Government should now seize on this opportunity to garner maximum advantage to the country's economy. It should go all out to enhance the value added to our exports so as to attract international markets.

We hope the various budgetary incentive granted to the export sector would help raise the quality of our products to earn valuable foreign exchange to the country.