{"id":983,"date":"2011-10-24T00:02:30","date_gmt":"2011-10-24T00:02:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/colombotelegraph.com\/?p=983"},"modified":"2012-06-01T23:24:02","modified_gmt":"2012-06-01T23:24:02","slug":"wikileaks-in-reality-economic-decisions-are-made-by-rajapaksa-brothers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wikileaks-in-reality-economic-decisions-are-made-by-rajapaksa-brothers\/","title":{"rendered":"WikiLeaks: In Reality Economic Decisions Are Made By Brothers"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Colombo Telegraph –<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIn reality, economic decisions are often made by President Rajapaksa and his brothers, with input from a handful of trusted economic advisors. A number of well connected business leaders and academics agreed that economic decision making is opaque, but key decision making is made by a very tight circle, usually President Rajapaksa and his two brothers.\u201d the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Although decision-making is far from transparent, it pays to be a member of the cozy club who knows right people<\/p><\/div>\n

A leaked US diplomatic cable details the situation of the economic decision-making process in Sri Lanka.\u00a0The Colombo Telegraph found the cable from WikiLeaks database. The cable written on 17th<\/sup> November 2009, classified as \u201cCONFIDENTIAL\u201d by the Deputy Chief of Mission Valerie Fowler.<\/p>\n

Under the subheading \u201cComment\u201d the US\u00a0Ambassador Patricia A. Butenis wrote \u201cEconoff has found that many local business leaders are well connected, and thus benefited from Sri Lanka\u2019s personalized economic decision making. …. Although decision-making is far from transparent, it pays to be a member of the cozy club who knows right people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Under the subject of \u201cFormal GSL Process\u201d Butenis wrote \u201c Sri Lanka\u2019s formal process for economic decision making is focused of the Finance Ministry, but included input from line Ministries and private sector. The GSL has over 100 Ministries, and many Ministers hold their office for purely political reasons. If a Ministry plans to change economic policy, it must first seek approval from the National Planning Commission in the Finance Ministry. If approved then it makes a formal request to the Finance Ministry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Under the subheading the US Ambassador Butenis\u00a0wrote \u201cPresident Rajapaksa serves as his own Finance Minister. Finance Secretary Jayasundara has by far the most influence over the Rajapaksas, he runs the Finance Ministry, and he has taken change of economic policy since his return to power. Several others, such as Central Bank Governor Cabral and Minister for export Development and International Trade G.L Peiris have input, particularly on their direct issues. Our contacts repeatedly emphasized that economic policy is usually trumped by short-term political considerations and made ad hoc basis. The official government channels are much less important. The NCED had been sleepy and fallen into disuse.\u201d \u201cAlthough Jayasundera and Cabraal were close collaborators in 2005, we have since heard there has been a falling out. Our contacts believe that Jayasundara has established himself as the primary economic advisor to President Rajapaksa.\u201d Butenis further wrote.<\/p>\n

Read the full cable for further details;<\/p>\n

VZCZCXRO9924\r\nPP RUEHBI RUEHCI\r\nDE RUEHLM #1040\/01 3210606\r\nZNY CCCCC ZZH\r\nP 170606Z NOV 09\r\nFM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO\r\nTO RUEHC\/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0769\r\nINFO RUEHKA\/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 2044\r\nRUEHIL\/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 9072\r\nRUEHKT\/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 7314\r\nRUEHNE\/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 3469\r\nRUEHCG\/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 9635\r\nRUEHKP\/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 2568\r\nRUEHCI\/AMCONSUL KOLKATA PRIORITY 0454\r\nRUEHBI\/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 6929\r\nRUEATRS\/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY\r\nRUCPDOC\/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY\r\nC O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001040\r\n\r\nSIPDIS\r\n\r\nE.O. 12958: DECL: 11\/17\/2019\r\nTAGS: CE<\/a> ECON<\/a> EFIN<\/a> PGOV<\/a>\r\nSUBJECT: SRI LANKA,S PERSONALIZED SYSTEM OF ECONOMIC\r\nDECISION MAKING\r\n\r\nREF: COLOMBO 981\r\n\r\nClassified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Valerie Fowler for Reasons 1.4 (\r\nb,d)\r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>1.     (C)  Summary.  The real power to make economic policy\r\nappears to transcend the formal government policy channels\r\nand focus on the influence of President Rajapaksa and his\r\ncircle.  According to our contacts, the new Secretary to the\r\nTreasury, P.B. Jayasundera, is the policymaker with the most\r\ninfluence on economic policy.  Jayasundera, along with\r\nseveral other key economic advisors, are well educated, and\r\nthey have crossed party lines to remain economic advisors\r\nthrough the last three administrations.  Econoff has noticed\r\nthat contacts were quite reluctant to discuss the Sri Lankan\r\nprocess of economic decision-making.  Sri Lanka's well\r\nconnected business leaders seem reasonably comfortable with\r\nthese arrangements.  End Summary.\r\n\r\nFormal GSL Process\r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>2.    (SBU)  Sri Lanka's formal process for economic decision\r\nmaking is focused on the Finance Ministry, but includes input\r\nfrom line Ministries and the private sector.  The GSL has\r\nover 100 Ministers (over half of their Parliament), and many\r\nMinisters hold their office for purely political reasons.  If\r\na Ministry plans to change economic policy, it must first\r\nseek approval from the National Planning Commission in the\r\nFinance Ministry.  If approved, then it makes a formal\r\nrequest to the Finance Ministry.  There is also a mechanism\r\nfor Ministries to consult with the private sector through the\r\nNational Councils for Economic Development (NCED).  The NCED\r\nhas 27  clusters, organized by industrial sector that meet\r\nregularly to provide feedback to the GSL.  In addition, if\r\nthe proposed policy requires funding, the Finance Ministry\r\nmust also approve and incorporate the policy into the\r\nnational budget.  The Finance Ministry consults with the\r\ncabinet and the President for major decisions.\r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>3.    (SBU)  Economic Policy can also be formulated by\r\ndifferent means from the Presidential level.    President\r\nRajapaksa heads the National Economic Council, which also\r\nincludes: the President's Secretary; the Finance Secretary;\r\nthe Governor of the Central Bank; the head of the Board of\r\nInvestment (which promotes investment into Sri Lanka); Saman\r\nKelegama, head of the government-aligned think tank Institute\r\nfor Policy Studies; and Dr. Lloyd Fernando, with the\r\nPostgraduate Management Institute.  The GSL can also appoint\r\na special blue ribbon commission.  For example, the GSL is\r\nplanning a major overhaul of its tax system, and President\r\nRajapaksa has appointed a Presidential Commission on Taxation\r\nto come up with recommendations.\r\n\r\nHow it Actually Works\r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>4.    (C)  In reality, economic decisions are often made by\r\nPresident Rajapaksa and his brothers, with input from a\r\nhandful of trusted economic advisors.  A number of well\r\nconnected business leaders and academics agreed that economic\r\ndecision making is opaque, but key decision making is made by\r\na very tight circle, usually President Rajapaksa and his two\r\nbrothers.  President Rajapaksa serves as his own Finance\r\nMinister.  Finance Secretary Jayasundera has by far the most\r\ninfluence over the Rajapaksas, he runs the Finance Ministry,\r\nand he has taken change of economic policy since his return\r\nto power.  Several other officials, such as Central Bank\r\nGovernor Cabraal and Minister for Export Development and\r\nInternational Trade G.L. Peiris have input, particularly on\r\ntheir direct issues.  Our contacts repeatedly emphasized that\r\neconomic policy is usually trumped by short-term political\r\nconsiderations and made on an ad hoc basis.  The official\r\ngovernment channels are much less important, since many\r\nMinisters have little real influence.  The NCED had been\r\nsleepy and fallen into disuse, but Secretary Jayasundera has\r\nstarted to reinvigorate the NCED to strategize and direct\r\neconomic policy.   Secretary Jayasundera is pushing for\r\nfurther implementation of President Rajapaksa's election\r\nmanifesto  Mahinda's Thoughts,, which outlines his economic\r\nstrategy.\r\n\r\nCharacteristics of Economic Decision Makers\r\n\r\nCOLOMBO 00001040  002 OF 003\r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>5.    (C)  The key Sri Lanka economic decision makers --\r\nTreasury Secretary Jayasundera, Central Bank President\r\nCabraal, and Minister of Export Development and International\r\nTrade Peiris -- share several characteristics:  they are\r\nintelligent and well educated and they have crossed party\r\nlines to work for the last several administrations.  Finance\r\nSecretary Jayasundera, for example, holds Master's and\r\nDoctorate degrees in Economics from Boston University, and a\r\nMaster's Degree in Developmental Economics from Williams\r\nCollege.  Jayasundera has served as a consultant to the IMF\r\nand World Bank.  He was the Secretary of Finance under\r\nPresident Kumaratunga (leftist SLFP party)  from 1999-2001\r\nand 2004-2005, as well as the Chairman of the Public\r\nEnterprises Reform, Sri Lanka's Privatization Agency, under\r\nthe rightist UNF government from 2002-2003, before returning\r\nas the Secretary to the Finance in the current leftist\r\nadministration.  As an example of his ideological\r\nflexibility, Jayasundera was in charge of privatizations in\r\nthe previous rightist United National Front government, but\r\nhe is now the leading economic policymaker in an\r\nadministration that opposes all privatizations.   Similarly,\r\nMinister Peiris is a former Rhodes Scholar and academic who\r\nalso served in prominent positions in President Kumaratunga's\r\nand the UNF government.  Peiris departed the rightist UNP\r\nparty to join the government in 2007.   Central Bank Governor\r\nCabraal was an Eisenhower Fellow, a member of the rightist\r\nUNP who crossed over to the leftist SLFP in 2005, and former\r\nPresident of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri\r\nLanka.\r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>6.    (C)  Secretary Jayasundera and Governor Cabraal were\r\nthe architects of Candidate Rajapaksa,s 2005 economic policy\r\nmanifesto Mahinda Chintana ( Mahinda's Thoughts,) that\r\npromotes a nationalist economic policy.  Although Jayasundera\r\nand Cabraal were close collaborators in 2005, we have since\r\nheard that there has been a falling out.  Our contacts\r\nbelieve that Jayasundera has established himself as the\r\nprimary economic advisor to President Rajapaksa. Cabraal has\r\nless general influence and works on issues critical to the\r\nCentral Bank, such as monetary policy, and promotes Sri Lanka\r\nas a destination for foreign investment.\r\n\r\nThe Return of the King\r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>7.    (C)   As described in reftel, Secretary Jayasundera was\r\nrecently reappointed as Treasury Secretary after one yea r\r\naway due to his involvement in a scandal.  Jayasundera was\r\naccused of reducing the market value of the state owned\r\nenterprise Lanka Marine Service when it was privatized and\r\nsold to local conglomerate John Keells Holdings.  In October\r\n2008 Jayasundera agreed to pay a fine of 500,000 rupees\r\n(approximately $4,400 USD) and filed an agreement with the\r\nSri Lankan Supreme Court in which he agreed never to hold\r\npublic office again.  Although some contacts claim that the\r\ncase 3aa`xwQrvU|GRMRc=za9 uNt5I|Q45j$office as scheduled, President Rajapaksa requested that\r\nJayasundera return as Treasury Secretary for the good of the\r\ncountry.  The Supreme Court allowed Jayasundera to withdraw\r\nhis promise never to serve in public office in October, and\r\ntwo days later President Rajapaksa reappointed Jayasundera as\r\nFinance Secretary.\r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>8.    (C)  Although Jayasundera is described as an economic\r\nnationalist, local business leaders were very pleased that he\r\nhas returned to a position of influence in government.\r\nPresident Rajapaksa had appointed a quiet civil servant as\r\nFinance Secretary.  A well connected contact described the\r\nFinance Ministry as \"paralyzed\" when Jayasundera was out of\r\ngovernment.  Jayasundera also continued to coordinate\r\neconomic issues behind the scenes even during his year out of\r\npower.  One business contact related that when he had\r\nproblems with the GSL, he went to Jayasundera in a private\r\ncapacity, and he fixed the problem right away.  Several\r\nbusiness contacts have praised Jayasundera as a guy who can\r\n get things done.,  However, several contacts have stated\r\nthat the Finance Ministry staff is weak, so Jayasundera takes\r\ncare of many issues personally.\r\n\r\nCOLOMBO 00001040  003 OF 003\r\n\r\nExample of Economic Decision Making: Interest Rate Reduction\r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>9.    (SBU)  The GSL recently ordered a reduction in lending\r\ninterest rates by state banks, which illustrates Finance\r\nSecretary Jayasundera's influence and GSL,s willingness to\r\nintervene in the market.  The GSL was frustrated that,\r\ndespite much lower inflation rates, lending interest rates\r\nremained high and domestic lending was stagnant.  On October\r\n27, in order to jump start the economy, President Rajapaksa\r\nordered that state banks cut their interest rates by 7% from\r\n15-22% to 8-12%, in loans to certain sectors like agriculture\r\nand infrastructure.   State banks cover at least 37% of the\r\nbanking industry, and private banks feel pressure to follow\r\nsuit to keep their best customers.  President Rajapaksa made\r\nthe decision after meeting with the state banks and Finance\r\nSecretary Jayasundera.  Although the decision concerned\r\ninterest rates, clearly in the Central Bank's realm of\r\nresponsibility, Governor Cabraal was not consulted.  Although\r\nlocal businesses were generally pleased, the state banks\r\nalready have high non-performing loan ratios, and it is\r\nunclear if the private banks can afford these new lending\r\ninterest rates.\r\n\r\nReluctance To Discuss Economic Policy Making\r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>10.   (C)  Business leaders, academics and government\r\nofficials were clearly quite concerned about making comments\r\nto econoff how economic decision making actually works in Sri\r\nLanka.  Several contacts nervously confirmed that econoff's\r\nnotes would be treated confidentially and emphasized that\r\nthey did not want to be quoted by name.  Econoff also noticed\r\nthat these contacts were much more candid when they were\r\nalone, and tended to clam up if their staff were about.  As\r\nanother example, a prominent opposition-affiliated economist\r\nfelt that he was on relatively safe ground criticizing the\r\ngovernment's economic policy in English, but he was very\r\nworried when he was interviewed on television on the same\r\nsubjects in the common Sinhala language.\r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>11.   (C)   Comment.  Econoff has found that many local\r\nbusiness leaders are well connected, and thus benefit from\r\nSri Lanka's personalized economic decision making.  Although\r\nSecretary Jayasundera can be difficult, there was widespread\r\nrelief among business types when he returned to government.\r\nAlthough decision-making is far from transparent, it pays to\r\nbe a member of the cozy club who knows the right people.  End\r\nComment.\r\n\r\nBUTENIS<\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":1204,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,53,1,27,2223],"tags":[6986,1143,1139,1274,1161,1185,1298,1263],"class_list":["post-983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-anti-corruption","category-global-politics","category-news","category-wikileaks","category-wikileaks-latest-popular","tag-anti-corruption","tag-authoritarianism","tag-democracy","tag-economic-affaires","tag-foreign-affairs","tag-patricia-a-butenis","tag-sri-lankans-in-wikileaks","tag-us-embassy-cables-on-sri-lanka"],"yoast_head":"\nWikiLeaks: In Reality Economic Decisions Are Made By Brothers - Colombo Telegraph<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wikileaks-in-reality-economic-decisions-are-made-by-rajapaksa-brothers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"WikiLeaks: In Reality Economic Decisions Are Made By Brothers - 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