The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) will meet this week to decide on trade union action in an effort to protest against the forthcoming Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) between Sri Lanka and India.
Padeniya – GMOA
The GMOA Central Committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday where the association will discuss at length on various matters ranging from the ETCA to the government benefits provided to them. During the meeting, the GMOA will decide on what sort of trade union action it will take in their efforts to campaign against the ETCA, which they claim is detrimental to the country and the professional community.
The GMOA is also irked that the government has cut down on the various benefits provided to them including the vehicle permits granted to doctors, as well as preference not given to the children of doctors when granting schools.
The government is set to sign the controversial ETCA with India before end of 2016. The GMOA has claimed that the ETCA will pave way for Indian professionals to come to Sri Lanka for jobs, which will jeopardize job opportunities for Sri Lankans.
However, Minister of International Trade Malik Samarawickrama has said that the government will not allow any foreigners to infiltrate the local job market, unless under special cases.
MrRetort / August 16, 2016
Job Market for Indians under special circumstances is worrying GMOA for this would straggle their ability to strangle hold the state by strikes for which state can seek the help of other sources to counter them.
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chico chicki / August 16, 2016
theses are no doctors but nurses at practice and strike action.
doctors and surgeons don’t strike
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Jagath Fernando / August 19, 2016
Govt doctors have been spoilt from the day they were born. Why are they treated differently to any other professional or vocation?
Look at them as to what they get today all paid by the tax payer.
Free 13 years primary and secondary education
Free medical MBBS education
Govt job when passed out
Free govt quarters when posted out of Colombo
Duty free car permit
Admission of kids to popular schools
Opportunity to do private practice
Free specialized training overseas
No taxes paid on private earnings and consultations
They are so arrogant that they even want to block private medical education.
They are so scared of competition and loss of market share and hence will not want any other doctors working in SL.
I am confident that yahapalanaya govt will ensure fair play.
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Ben Hurling / August 17, 2016
Who governs SL?
Elected GOSL or blood sucking, self-serving GMOA?
Why are these guys given preferential treatment as opposed to other professional groups?
Is it because they deal with matters of life and death?
We should not let these self-serving, blood suckers to hold our health service, patients, people, economy and the nation to ransom.
GOSL must educate the people about the unreasonableness of these demands. Time has come to break GMOA’s back.
Cheers!
PS:
Medicine is a nobel profession. However, in SL we have a bunch of people who seek this profession just for status and benefits this job may carry.
They are not driven by motivation to heal sick people. GMOA doctors have ended up there for all the wrong reasons.
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Native Vedda / August 17, 2016
Ben Hurling
“Is it because they deal with matters of life and death? “
If true, then why on earth the powerful, rich, crooks, corrupted, politicians, …. seek medical treatment outside this country? Even the politicians do not have confidence in as you aptly put it “blood sucking, self-serving GMOA”.
On the one hand GMOA refuse to allow foreign doctors to fill vacancies on the other they would not stop their private practices. The rich and the crooks do not depend on government hospitals however the poor man/woman cannot afford to fly to Singapore every time they fall ill.
The government should get its priorities right and use its authority to send these heartless crooks where they belong.
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don juan / August 19, 2016
Native vedda resorts to same abusive invective of MP chatura senaratne.This is the yahapalana pack of wolves set off by the Christian NGOs. Doctors are blood suckers. IT technicians and other professional who are also oppposed foregners competing for their jobs aare subhuman!. For Native Vedda the Indians taking over the jobs of Sri Lankans are benevolent samaritans.
Christian NGOs and their lackeys are hellbent on destroying this country.
Remember Ranil is a catholic and hates this country and its natives.
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Hamlet / August 17, 2016
“Medicine is a nobel(sic) profession. However, in SL we have a bunch of people who seek this profession just for status and benefits this job may carry.”
Ben Hurling:-
Your description would equally apply to Politicians, who have not spent Many Years, like Doctors do, studying to be Politicians!
Why should Doctors, Engineers, and other Professionals have to be lower down in the Hierarchy than Politicians?
Do you wonder why they are leaving the Country in Droves, to work in Countries where their Skills are Appreciated?
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Ben Hurling / August 17, 2016
Hamlet,
I have nothing against doctors personally. I count countless docs among my friends and family. Both here in SL and abroad.
My irritation is to do with the disproportionate power GMOA exercises over people of SL. How it holds both GOSL and people at gun-point literally through their profession. Unethical!
GMOA’s conduct is self-destructive to the image of own their profession itself. It’s their own doing.
Doctors deal with people when they are weak and sick. When they are most vulnerable. When they are in touch with realities of life. It is a noble profession. It must not be driven by status, material benefits or profit. Key driver must be a passion to heal the sick. It must come from with in. It must be genuine.
I have nothing against very generous renumeration of medics. They deserve it. Just like many other highly-skilled professinal groups in society.
However, society should not give into an arrogant trade union only interested in self-promotion and unlimited greed. Often at the cost of innocent people and an impoverished nation.
We are in this together. All are equal. All have a right to a dignified life. No matter who you are. Including medics.
Cheers!
PS:
I share your well-founded misgivings about the limitless perks offered to politicians. They should be slashed. Sooner the better.
Medics should set a better example on their own free will.
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don Juan / August 20, 2016
disproportionate power of doctors! My foot. . Ben Gurling , rather than being a mouthpiece for this Yahapanaya government should for once try to be honest. It is no t only doctors but all other science basedprofessionals are vehemently opposed to this pact which would allow a flow of Indians competing for jobs in sri lanka. Will they spend their money here or takteonly doctors all other science based professional . Of course not the lawyers and accountants wont be affected. That is why theUNP dominated legal profession is quite silent about it,
This country has15 % unemployment . India’s unemployment among professionals is 25%. Not only that. This pact allows even unskilled labourers to work here driving down the wages of hard pressed semiskilled people.
No other country in asia, or america or africa has signed such deals with bigger neighbours.
It would be nice if Ben Hurlingspeaks for citizens of this country rather than foreigners
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old codger / August 21, 2016
My dear Juan,
You say :”No other country in asia, or america or africa has signed such deals with bigger neighbours.”
Malaysia has an agreement with India
Mexico has an agreement with the US
The Trans-pacific Pact(TPP) involves many small countries signing up with the US.
The overall unemployment rate in India is 4.9%. It is 25% among graduates, but most of these are Arts graduates , not IT and medical professionals.
“This pact allows even unskilled labourers to work here driving down the wages of hard pressed semiskilled people.”
Semiskilled Indians are already working paddy fields in the EP. That is why we can buy rice even at 70 bucks a kilo.
Is that bad, or do you want rice at 150, harvested by Sri Lankan labour?
You would save yourself much embarrasment if you would only check your facts before making sweeping statements.
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patriot / August 16, 2016
The current offer of permit system is very reasonable. Government cannot afford to allow doctors to do vehicle business out of public money. Strike is their only weapon. Government should educate people on the unethical and unpatriotic attitude of these docs and take a firm stand this time.
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old codger / August 16, 2016
These tie-wearing hooligans of the GMOA want private practice for themselves at 10,000 bucks an hour tax-free, but don’t wand a private SAITM or -omigod!- Indian doctors working here for 2000 bucks.
When these jackasses who were educated with OUR money start paying income tax, I will believe their hearts bleed for poor patients.
SIGN THE ETCA and get on with it, Ranil!!!
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predictir / August 17, 2016
Old codger
May be you are one of the customer of those painted woman’s. You r still premature to understand the fact dear friend.not only doctors but all srilankan citizen who got free education are paid off by taxpayers money.
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old codger / August 17, 2016
Pedictir,
Not all doctors are bad (or all ladies with painted faces). But the ladies charge less than the doctors who have used our money to get educated. To put it crudely, dear Predictir, the ladies are scr***d by their clients, but the GMOA scr**s its clients.
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Mudson Silva. / August 16, 2016
Lately GMOA has started threatening tactics against the government backed by the invisible Joint Opposition.
The GMOA central committee is having secret talks with the Rajafucksa brigade to sabotage the government efforts.
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anonymous / August 16, 2016
Politicians, Lawyers and Doctors have become the ‘Laughing Stock’ for the international community, specially the Ceylonese expatriate population around the world.
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colin / August 16, 2016
Sri Lanka can never ever progress if the GMOA take this type of attitude.Poor nations like Nepal.Bangladesh have Private Medical Colleges and our boys are studying in these Colleges . Millions of valuable foreign exchange is sent out of the country for these boys education and as a result the government is forced to tax the people like VAT etc.
Most of the GMOA doctors got their Medical Education free of charge by virtue of tax payers money and they resort to empty threats like this.Its a very very sad situation.
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shankar / August 16, 2016
importing doctors should be like anything else such as onions or potatoes.If we don’t have it here or the price is too much for people to eat then we get them down from india.same for doctors too.I heard that sometimes even 3 A’s are not enough to qualify for medicine.So you have to lower the bar a bit and have enough doctors here or get them from abroad,because with our ageing population we are certainly going to increasingly need them.
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Nimal / August 16, 2016
These GMOA doctors, just with an undergraduate degree should not be allowed to hold the govt at ransom. They are scared to death of competing with Indian doctors and of being deprived of all possible chances to such the blood of poor people in Sri Lanka. Remember, GMOA jackasses; you are not qualified to be doctors in the developed world. It is only in Sri Lanka that you can pose as doctors and do all these gimmicks.
Kudos to Ranil !! Bring any demon to Sri Lanka to counter these GMOA jackasses.
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Raj / August 16, 2016
The selfish GMOA obviously don’t want competition from Indian doctors (or from anybody else, apart from home grown doctors educated at tax payers expense) because they will lose their grip on the Govt. which will put an end to their outrageous demands.
Competition is good for the consumer & quacks will fall behind, therefore, there is hope for a better health system that doesn’t cost the earth if the powers of GMOA are curtailed.
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ajith / August 16, 2016
With new car tax free every 3 years GMOA can run biggest car sale in the Sri lanka with guaranteed profit.
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[Edited out] fernando / August 16, 2016
This is what happens when Sri Lanka goes behind the Western powers. Sri Lanka has a centuries old system of native medicine in Ayurveda (which was invented in Sri Lanka and exported even to India) and does not need to rely on Western concepts. The GMOA should switch to representing the Ayurvedic trade which is far superior (Government Medicinal of Ayurveda) and rid Sri Lanka of the western influence once and for all. Until this cancer of American style treatments is removed there will be no benefit to the poor masses.
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shankar / August 17, 2016
it is not ayurveda,but sinhala traditional medicine that is superior to the western ones.however they can be very cumbersome.A friend of mine is instead of having an operation to remove calcium deposits is using this traditional sinhalese medicine which is a smelly oil.It goes on for months and when you use it you can’t shower.he is improving every month and it will be a permanent cure,but will take nearly a year it seems.The good news is that an operation can be avoided through western medical treatment.This traditional sinhala medicine should be looked at by the government and developed.Very soon there won’t be anyone left to do this after the current people pass away.The portueguese deliberately destroyed all the formulas and killed the practitioners.Only a few are left now.The duthch and british too the formulas to their countries and drug companies made a huge buck using their secrets.people confuse ayurveda with tarditional sinhalese medicine.forget about ayurveda and save this for our future generations to benefit.
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Thanos / August 16, 2016
Shouldn’t GMOA be listed as a terrorist organization?
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Sakalabujan / August 16, 2016
The reality is that all those who write comments here against Doctors try to make their children doctors by hook or crook. Then they also become GMOA members. This is pure jealousy.
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Thanos / August 17, 2016
FYI, I don’t have children but I would never encourage kids to be part of a terrorist organization like the GMOA. Ultimately it is their choice but, if I were a parent and if my children became doctors I would encourage them to practice their profession abroad and not as part as a terror group in SL.
* LTTE were terrorists. They kept 300,000 human shields and committed heinous acts throughout their existence. GMOA are the much bigger terrorists. They hold the entire nation at gun-point including the poverty stricken who cannot afford private treatment.
* LTTE was born out of decades of discrimination/torture against Tamils in SL and at one point were genuine freedom fighters. GMOA exists purely to protect their bank accounts and social status.
So it makes me wonder, why is the GMOA not been listed as terrorist organization?!
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Sugath / August 20, 2016
This is typical hypocrisy of our great almighty doctors. They think if some one says something against them it is due to pure jealousy.
They try to save us from this great disaster of ETCA because they are so concerned about our well being. OH my foot are we that stupid to trust these suckers .Where are these guardian angels when their own colleagues suck out our blood in private practise ,channelling centres and private hospitals.GMOA keeps a blind eye against all those atrocities and whenever a doctor is charged they come up and cover it up against their colleague whatever they have done. They have no public interest and I am dead sure about that. GMOA is a mafia and it is run by few guys who are motivated with vested interests bound by political bias. They are against ETCA because it can go against their so far protected supreme state which and keep general public as refugees in any given time to gain their demands though strike action. They are hell bent to stop the much needed ambulance service coming from India for the same reason. These vultures should be exposed and general public should be more aware about their rights. Most of the doctors are educated through public funds and they should be held accountable for that. Though there are hard working dedicated fair minded doctors are working in our system their good name is also tarnished by these blood sucking vampires.
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old codger / August 16, 2016
Dear, dear!
This forum is looking like a one-horse race. Aren’t there any GMOA members who read CT and are willing to put out their side of the story?
Or is it that Padeniya-type hooligans keep the rest under control, like the FSP student unions?
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Rohantha / August 16, 2016
Open up Padeniya’s File at Health Ministry
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Sugath / August 20, 2016
Worst president of the GMOA in its entire history. He is sucking to MARA and all his actions are motivated and planned by MARA stooges. I was a proud member of my old trade union one time but those days they did not suck up to politicians. Though I belonged to the same profession I am mindful about the rights of general public who supported my entire education. I have no reluctance in calling spade a spade. Padeniya is a wolf in sheep clothes and I will not be fooled by his ”Pawa-deniya” actions.
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Native Vedda / August 20, 2016
Sugath
“I was a proud member of my old trade union one time but those days they did not suck up to politicians.”
My Elders told me that kind of honourable trade unionism died the moment Sri Mao/NM took control of the state/government in 1970.
Since the 1950’s trade unions were racially divided, members lost faith in their trade union bosses.
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bandito / August 17, 2016
English doctors have moved on to US, Aus Can etc
Lankan GMOA move your butt with the trend.
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jim softy / August 17, 2016
These people are screwing it up for everybody. there will be software available for writing prescriptions. Already, Surgeons from North America can consult via the web in the middle east.
Non stop demands means, if the govt can not tolerate it anymore, they will bring cheaper doctors from some where else.
there are so many chinese doctors doing meanial jobs in North america.
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Park / August 17, 2016
Its time for the Sri Lankan government to allow foreign qualified experienced doctors to start serving in Sri Lanka. These foreign doctors should be banned from joining any trade unions and should be allowed on a five year contract. This would teach the GMOA doctors a lesson. These GMOA doctors want car permits, school admission for their children in the best schools, tax concessions, dictate terms to the government, the minister of health etc. Why should they have all these benefits, they are just government servants like many others in this country. Its time to teach these guys a lesson.They have forgotten that they studied under a free education system and now they do not want to pay their dues to the country. They are putting the patients into difficulty by threatening to strike for every single demand of theirs.
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Thanga / August 17, 2016
Why is the GMOA interested in Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) between Sri Lanka and India? These doctors have no sense of shame to extract from the government duty free cars when they are richest among the people. The government should stand firm to the frequent threat to strike by the GMOA.
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BBS Rep / August 17, 2016
There is an old saying ‘Rajakama nathinam Wedakama’. This saying is quite apt when it comes to the Sri Lankan medical professionals. They have an undue stranglehold on patients in Sri Lanka and also the government. The service they provide is sub standard. Most doctors use the government free medical services only to channel patients to lucrative private treatment regimes. The Sri Lankans are also egotistical and arrogant and blind to the real needs of the patient. The doctors are also impatient often cutting off patients who want to explain their ailments.
ECTA should encourage overseas doctors to practice in Sri Lanka. Some competition is good and will bring our egotistical and arrogant sub standards doctors down to earth and make them more competitive.
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predictir / August 17, 2016
Most of the comments deviated from the actual story of the news.they are un aware about ETCA.its show only anti GMOA. GMOA is the oldest professional trade union in the country consist of dedicated doctors.it is not easy to become a doctor.as a professional body it’s their duty to fight against any agreement which affect the whole country.it doesn’t mean they against ETCA.they put their effort to make this agreement in correct way by forming a national policy in trade agreements.
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old codger / August 17, 2016
Predictir,
“GMOA is the oldest professional trade union in the country consist of dedicated doctors”
Well,my friend, the oldest profession is the ladies with painted faces to be seen near the Fort railway station. They don’t have a union, but I would say they are more respectable than the GMOA.
The scum of the earth may have 3 A levels and wear a tie, but they are still the scum of the earth.
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Saman Adikari / August 17, 2016
ECTA is promoting competition according some people is good.
The Life cannot take risk by many factors, life is not that game like the stock market,trading and an Investments of competition .
Those who are not care of health standards and long-term interest of well being of people of Sri Lankan they are working only for anti-people’s standard of politics.
ECTA we have long way to go!
That is not the treatment for all ills of Our Economic decisions been created by Rules in currently in power! We therefor denied that ECTA not suitable time being.
Ours doctors and system of medical far advance than Indian, while it is base Free Health Services . Majority poor been look after by the fairly good health services. There is positive side Sri Lankan health services.
There are certain short comings need to be address by Ruling authorities.
That has to be protected every right by the citizens- Sri lanka.
The health-services leads to long-life of living in this world. Needless to say is basic Human Right of human kind has to accepts by all walk of life in Sri lankan.
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old codger / August 17, 2016
Saman,
You say”Ours doctors and system of medical far advance than Indian, while it is base Free Health Services”.
This is what the GMOA would like us to believe. Do we have doctors even now who can work at current Indian standards?
Just one example, liver transplants in India:
“Dr A S Soin is recognised all over the world for his pioneering work in liver transplantation. From 2001 to mid-2010, he established a big liver transplant center at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. However, in June 2010, he moved to Medanta-The Medicity, Gurgaon to start a new center. Medanta at a current bed strength of 925 (and soon to be 1500) is one of the largest and the most modern tertiary care hospitals in the country.”
The first liver transplant in SL was done in 2012, so we are at least 12 years behind India in that field. Do you not remember, Saman, how people had to fly to Apollo hospital in Chennai for a bypass?
Sri Lankans have to come out of this ignorant attitude of superiority.
As to free health service, is it really free when you have to pay for everything from stents to lenses and dialysis kits?
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Native Vedda / August 17, 2016
Saman Adikari
“Ours doctors and system of medical far advance than Indian, while it is base Free Health Services”
It it the reason as to why many, including Sinhalese, Tamils, and Muslims from this island go to India seeking medical treatment rather than here?
India’s Medical Tourism Boom
Each year, roughly 200,000 patients from war-torn countries come to India seeking medical care they can’t find at home.
http://thediplomat.com/2016/08/
India: Charting a medical tourism map
Hrithik Kiran Bagade and Mamta Bhardwaj, May 16, 2016
The Indian medical tourism industry is pegged at $3 billion per annum, with tourist arrivals estimated at 2,30,000. The Indian medical tourism industry is expected to reach $6 billion by 2018, with the number of people arriving in the country for medical treatment set to double over the next 4 years,” IBEF further informs.
http://www.deccanherald.com/
How much does this island make out of Medical Tourism if its medical services are better than the Indian one?
I suggest you leave your bunker once in a while to see what is happening all around you.
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Upali Wickramasinghe / August 18, 2016
ECTA should come.
From the carpenter to the some doctors, the average person is being milked dry.A person known to me paid Rs 5000 to replace ONE tile in his house.If you visit Asiri Surgical you will find a notice board with funny notices. One notice says that if the patient is unable to keep his appointment he should pay again the full sum to meet the consultant. The other says that the patient should pay the full consultation fees to show the reports requested by the Consultant himself.There is another who give you seven days to submit the report and if the the seventh day falls on a day that she is absent the patient has to repeat the process.
This is all bad.
(i) Does the Consultant pay compensation to the patient for not keeping his appointment – come at the promised time.Years ago I waited with my daughter three hours to see the consultant.
(ii) The greedy consultant has no ethics.These five jokers were educated by the Tax payer.These five, including a woman should be stripped and thrashed.It is their fault.Without being greedy they should insist on the patients, their victims in fact, first see a General Practitioner (aka family doctor)before the patient, the foolish sucker, come visiting the consultant.The family doctor will arrange for the reports.
(iii) This is a another female-she is like the female bee- suck everything out of the male and then kill him.
(iv) What action had the GMOA taken against a Consultant who had apparently submitted false evidence to the courts.
It is high time the masses take action against the professionals who hold them to ransom.
WELCOME ECTA.
Why should the GMOA rascals be given duty free cars?
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N.Wimaladsa / August 18, 2016
The commenter of Upali Wickrasinghe has no sense and basic knowledge of realized how is that important of agreement of ECTA- between two countries by himself.
This is an issues not confined to GMOA. The ECTA is national priority issue of key to development of sustsnibility of growth
and well being all Sri Lankans.
Well, GMOA has undertaken national task has been avoided by other social classes and groups & major political parties.
We need to address ECTA on the Global trade alert of which proposed by Indian originated trade agreement.
The proposed ECTA that we want most amicable trade pact will be benefits for our goods to be Import -export Indian market.
If we are not going to study matter concern of ECTA ,that will be partly Indian version be dominated side by the agreement be unfavourable for all Sri Lankans.
In fact we need more deliberation on this issues take time consumer matter of before enacted by Sri Lankan side.
Then import side of services trade we seek that protected of newly growing many services industries, well that could contributed nation GDP and Employment.
Before that we are going to enacted ECTA ,trade disputes began to reach into domestic areas that were previously immune from Indian pressure. Tax system, food safety, ensure the health, lives and promote well being of all at all ages, child labour, environment regulations and industrial promotion policies were an open to challenge from big trade partner of Indian.
The fact is most of unknown to our citizens, are not aware and lack or totally blind of that knowledge of ECTA or Trading business by Govt. India.
The ongoing FTA with India has to overall review before we reached to ECTA trading business.
This is hard part of issues of ECTA being confuse by many writers and elites.
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Upali Wickramasinghe / August 21, 2016
Mr. Wimaladasa :The ECTA is national priority issue of key to development of sustsnibility of growth and well being all Sri Lankans. What is that you are attempting to establish?
It is reported that-the paddy fields at NCP are harvested by Indian labour” what more do you want. The ECTA is already there.
What you say is true, in that other professions are also involved.The Electrical Engineers have already provided proof of the necessity of an ECTA by insisting that all future power plants should be coal based. They are rejecting natural Gas.Hydrogen and Fuel cells are the best, but Sri lanka need to establish basic research centres on Hydrogen.
The basic requirement is the welfare of the people of this country and for that the ECTA is necessary.ECTA will bring under control SL professionals milking the people dry.
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