Squandered Opportunity !

When we went shopping yesterday, the mall was busier than normal with families taking their children out and soaking up the holiday cheer.

As we waited for our order to come, we spotted a father, a mature son, and a young girl, maybe around ten years old, at the counter next to us.

She was pleading with her brother to accompany her as she wanted to show him something in another aisle, but because he was engaged in a conversation with the father, she left him alone and returned alone running a short while later, slamming into my wife and knocking her cell phone flying.

She halted in her steps, and the father gave us a quick glance before turning to face the other direction as if nothing had happened.

There were no noticeable indicators of damage from the fall when we answered the phone.

Although accidents can be avoided, they still occur for a variety of reasons.

However, I believe it was a squandered opportunity if you did not take the chance to learn something worthwhile from the incident or accident.

All parents want to teach their kids manners and etiquette, but few choose to take advantage of opportunities to do so when they arise.

We weren't furious or irritated, but at the time we shared the child's astonishment.

I believe that the parent lost an excellent teaching opportunity by turning aside and looking in another direction.

If I were in his position, I would have encouraged my kid to take responsibility for what happened and apologize for the incident but I would stand by her side for her moral support.

If you miss out on possibilities today, don't point the finger at anyone when you observe adults and children acting inappropriately in public settings the next day.

ඊයේ අපි සාප්පු සවාරි යන විට, සාප්පු සංකීර්ණය සාමාන්‍ය මට්ටමට වඩා කාර්යබහුල විය, පවුල් තම දරුවන් පිටතට ගෙන ගොස් නිවාඩු ප්‍රීතිය උද්දීපනය කළහ.

අපි අපේ ඇණවුම එනතුරු බලා සිටින විට, අප අසල කවුන්ටරයේ පියෙකු, පරිණත පුතෙකු සහ වයස අවුරුදු දහයක පමණ වයසැති තරුණ ගැහැණු ළමයෙකු අපි දුටුවෙමු.

ඇය තම සොහොයුරාට වෙනත් අන්තරාලයක යමක් පෙන්වීමට අවශ්‍ය බැවින් තමා සමඟ එන ලෙස ඉල්ලා සිටි නමුත් ඔහු පියා සමඟ කතාවේ යෙදී සිටි නිසා ඇය ඔහුව තනි කර ටික වේලාවකට පසු තනිවම දුව ගොස් මගේ බිරිඳගේ ඇගේ ගැටුනා. ඒ සමගම ඇගේ ජංගම දුරකතනය විසිවී ගොස් බිමට වැටුනා

ඇය පියවරෙන් පියවර නතර වූ අතර, කිසිවක් සිදු නොවූවාක් මෙන් අනෙක් දිශාවට හැරවීමට පෙර පියා අප වෙත ඉක්මන් බැල්මක් හෙළීය.

දුරකථනයට වැටීමෙන් සිදුවූ හානිය පිළිබඳ සැලකිය යුතු දර්ශක නොමැත.

අනතුරු වළක්වා ගත හැකි වුවද, ඒවා තවමත් විවිධ හේතු නිසා සිදු වේ.

කෙසේ වෙතත්, සිද්ධියෙන් වටිනා දෙයක් ඉගෙන ගැනීමට ඔබ අවස්ථාවක් නොගත්තේ නම් එය අපතේ ගිය අවස්ථාවක් බව මම විශ්වාස කරමි.

සියලුම දෙමාපියන් තම දරුවන්ට ආචාර විධි ඉගැන්වීමට අවශ්‍ය නමුත්, ඔවුන් ඇති වූ විට ඒ සඳහා අවස්ථා ප්‍රයෝජනයට ගැනීමට තෝරා ගන්නේ ස්වල්ප දෙනෙකි.

අපි කෝපයට පත් නොවූ නමුත් ඒ අවස්ථාවේ අපි දරුවාගේ විස්මය බෙදා ගත්තෙමු.

පැත්තකට වෙලා වෙනත් පැත්තක් බලලා දෙමව්පියෝ විශිෂ්ඨ ඉගැන්වීමේ අවස්ථාවක් නැතිකරගත්තා කියලා මම විශ්වාස කරනවා.

මම ඔහුගේ තනතුරේ සිටියා නම්, සිදු වූ දෙයට වගකීම භාර ගැනීමටත්, සිදුවීමට සමාව ගැනීමටත් මම මගේ දරුවාට දිරිගන්වන්නෙමි, නමුත් ඇගේ  සහයෝගය සඳහා මම ඇගේ පැත්තේ සිටිමි.

අද ඔබට අවස්ථාවන් මග හැරී ගියහොත්, පසුදා ප්‍රසිද්ධ ස්ථානවල වැඩිහිටියන් සහ ළමයින් නුසුදුසු ලෙස ක්‍රියා කරන බව ඔබ නිරීක්ෂණය කරන විට කිසිවෙකුට ඇඟිල්ල දිගු නොකරන්න.

Accidents are preventable (අනතුරු වළක්වා ගත හැකිය).

So many accidents have resulted in people losing their lives, limbs, and property, but the authorities are still in a deep slumber.

During COVID times, they only had statistics to show how many people died every day but no statistics to show how many lives are lost in road accidents.

Impose traffic rules, and there will be a drastic reduction in such incidents of this nature.

Accidents are preventable.

එවිට මෙවැනි

මෙතරම් අනතුරුවලින් මිනිසුන්ගේ ජීවිත, අතපය, දේපළ අහිමි වී ඇතත් බලධාරීන් තවමත් සිටින්නේ තද නින්දකය.

COVID කාලවලදී, දිනකට මිනිසුන් කී දෙනෙක් මිය යනවාද යන්න පෙන්වීමට සංඛ්‍යාලේඛන පමණක් තිබූ නමුත් මාර්ග අනතුරු වලින් කොපමණ ජීවිත සංඛ්‍යාවක් අහිමි වේද යන්න පෙන්වීමට සංඛ්‍යාලේඛන නොමැත.

මාර්ග නීති ක්‍රියාත්මක කරන්න.

එවිට මෙවැනි සිදුවීම් විශාල ලෙස අඩු වනු ඇත.

අනතුරු යනු වළක්වා ගත හැකි සිද්දියකි.

எத்தனையோ விபத்துகளால் மக்கள் உயிரையும், அங்கங்களையும், உடமைகளையும் இழந்தாலும் அதிகாரிகள் இன்னும் ஆழ்ந்த உறக்கத்தில் உள்ளனர்.

கோவிட் காலங்களில், ஒவ்வொரு நாளும் எத்தனை பேர் இறக்கிறார்கள் என்பதைக் காட்டுவதற்கான புள்ளிவிவரங்கள் மட்டுமே அவர்களிடம் இருந்தன, ஆனால் சாலை விபத்துகளில் எத்தனை உயிர்கள் இழக்கப்படுகின்றன என்பதைக் காட்ட எந்த புள்ளிவிவரமும் இல்லை.

போக்குவரத்து விதிகளை விதித்தால், இதுபோன்ற சம்பவங்கள் பெருமளவு குறையும்.

விபத்துகள் தடுக்கக்கூடியவை.

Photo Credit to the site on FB,

Bioavailability ( ජෛව උපයෝගීතාව ).

ජෛව උපයෝගීතාව යන වචනය බොහෝ දෙනෙකුට අලුත් දෙයක් විය හැකිය.

සෞඛ්‍ය හා වෛද්‍ය ක්ෂේත්‍රයේ සිටින අයට මෙම වචනය හුරුපුරුදුය.

එයින් අදහස් වන්නේ ඖෂධයක් හෝ වෙනත් ද්රව්යයක් ශරීරයට අවශෝෂණය කර භාවිතා කිරීමට ඇති හැකියාවයි.

ඉහළ ජෛව උපයෝගීතාව යනු වැඩි අවශෝෂණයක හැකියාවයි.

මානව ඉංජිනේරු නිෂ්පාදනවලට වඩා ස්වාභාවික නිෂ්පාදන ඉහළ ජෛව උපයෝගීතාවයක් ඇති බව වෛද්‍ය ක්ෂේත්‍රයේ වසර ගණනාවක් තිස්සේ දන්නා කරුණකි.

ඒකට හේතුව අපි ස්වභාවධර්මයේම කොටසක් වීමයි.

මානව ඉංජිනේරුවන් කෙතරම් නවෝත්පාදනයන් ගෙන ඒමට උත්සාහ කළද ස්වභාවධර්මය සමඟ ඔවුන්ගේ උත්සාහයන් සංසන්දනය කිරීමේදී ඔවුන් සිටින්නේ බොහෝ පසුපසිනි.

ස්වාභාවික නිෂ්පාදනයක් මිනිසා විසින් සාදන ලද නිෂ්පාදනයකින් වෙන්කර හඳුනා ගැනීමට ශරීරයට හැකියාව ඇත.

නිෂ්පාදනයක් ස්වභාවධර්මයට සමීප වන තරමට ශරීරය එය ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කිරීමේ සම්භාවිතාව අඩු වේ.

නිෂ්පාදනයක් ස්වභාවධර්මයට සමීප වන තරමට ශරීරය එය පිළිගැනීමේ සම්භාවිතාව ද වැඩි වේ.

මිනිසා විසින් සාදන ලද විශිෂ්ට නිෂ්පාදන රාශියක් ඇති බවට සැකයක් නැත.

නමුත් ඒවා ස්වාභාවික නිෂ්පාදන තරම් සොබාදහමට සමීප නොවන අතර එබැවින් ශරීරයේ අවශෝෂණ මට්ටම, ස්වාභාවික නිෂ්පාදන තරම් ඉහළ මට්ටමක නොමැත.

එමනිසා, අපට අවශෝෂණයෙන් වැඩි ප්‍රතිලාභයක් ලබා ගැනීමට අවශ්‍ය නම්, මිනිසා විසින් සාදන ලද නිෂ්පාදන වලට වඩා සොබාදහමට හැකි තරම් සමීප නිෂ්පාදන සෙවීම වඩා හොඳය.

මක්නිසාද යත් මිනිසා විසින් සාදන ලද නිෂ්පාදන වලට වඩා ස්වභාවික නිෂ්පාදන ඉහළ ජෛව උපයෝගීතාවයක් ඇති බැවිනි.

දන්නා ස්වභාවික නිෂ්පාදනයක් නොමැති නම් හෝ අද පවතින බව නොදන්නේ නම්, මිනිසා විසින් සාදන ලද නිෂ්පාදන භාවිතයට ප්‍රතිෂ්ඨාපනය කිරීමේ වරදක් නැත.

වෛද්‍ය ක්‍ෂේත්‍රයේ වෘත්තිකයන් මෙම තත්ත්වය පිළිබඳව දැනුවත් බැවින් නව නිෂ්පාදන නිපදවන අය ජෛව උපයෝගීතාව වැඩි කිරීම සඳහා තම නිෂ්පාදනවලට අවශ්‍ය ප්‍රමානයන්ටත් වැඩියෙන්  ද්‍රව්‍යය එකතු කරති.

අවසාන ප්‍රතිපලය වන්නේ  ශරීරයට ඒවා තුළ ඇති අධික ප්‍රමාණය බිඳ දැමීමට සහ පිරිසිදු කිරීමට අමතර ක්‍රියා කිරීමට සිදු වීමයි.

ස්වාභාවික විකල්පයක් පහසුවෙන් ලබා ගත හැකි නම් ඔබේ ශරීරයට අනවශ්‍ය ලෙස වැඩ කිරීමට ඉඩ දෙන්නේ ඇයි?

හිතන්න දෙයක්.

ගෘහ සේවිකාවක් හැටියට මැදපෙරදිග ගිහින් දියුණු වෙන්න පුලුවන්ද?

ගෘහ සේවිකාවක් හැටියට මැදපෙරදිග ගිහින් දියුණු වෙන්න පුලුවන්ද?

සමහර විට ඔබට මේ සිද්දිය අමතක්ත් ඇති.

ඒක ඔබේ හෝ මගේ වරදක් නිසා නෙමෙයි.

මේ වගේ සිද්දි අපිට දිනපතා ඇහෙන්න සිද්ද වෙන නිසා, සමහර සිද්දි අමතක වීම ස්වබාවික දෙයක්.

අලුත්ම ආරංචිය තමයි ඕමාන් රටෙදී අපේ අම්මලා, නංගිලා, දුවලා ගණිකා සේවය සඳහා විකිණීම පිළිබඳ ආරංචිය.

ඔය ආරංචිය අස්සේ සමාජමාධ්‍ය හරහා තවත් විඩියෝවක් ප්‍රචාරනය වෙනවා, එහෙම දේවල් ඒ රටේ වෙන්නේ නැහැ කියලා.

පුදුමේ කියන්නේ එහෙම කියන්නෙත් දැනට ඒ රටේම ජීවත් වන අපේම ශ්‍රී ලංකිකයන් කොටසක් වීමයි.

දැන් තත්වය දියුණු වෙලා නම් ඒක සංතෝසයට කාරනයක් නම් තමයි.

මමත් තිස් අවුරුද්දකට කිට්ටු වෙන්න ඒ රටේ වැඩ කරපු කෙනෙක්.

හැබයි එතෙකොට නම් තත්වය මීට වඩා හාත්පසින්ම වෙනස්.

මේ රටවල මිනිස්සුන්ට (මිනිස්සු කියන එකත් මනුශ්ෂත්වයට නිග්‍රහයක්) ගෑණු කියන්නේ සෙල්ලම් භාණ්ඩයක් පමණයි.

ඒක තමන්ගේ ගෑණිටයි කියලා වැඩි වෙනසක් නැහැ.

ජාතී ආගම්, කුළ බේද මේ ක්‍රියා වලියේදි වැදගත් නැහැ.

හොඳ සහ නරක් මිනිස්සු කොයි රටේත් ඉන්නවා.

වෙනස මේ රටවල හොඳ කියන අය අත්ලොස්සක් පමණයි වීමයි.

ගෘහ සේවිකාවක් හැටියට මැදපෙරදිග ගිහින් දියුණු වෙන්න පුලුවන් කියලා සමහරු කල්පණා කරනවා නම් ඒක දෙපාරකට වැඩිය හොඳින් හිතිය යුතු කාර්‍යයක්, මොකද මම දැකපු විදියට ඒක මිරිඟුවක් පමණයි.

මේ තවත් දුක්කිත කතාවක් පමණි.

Help Needed ( උදව් අවශ්යයි ).

This morning in Colombo, an old person was discovered sleeping under a public bus stop in front of the Regal Cinema.

He claimed to have been a welder before ending up on the street, but because he is nearly deaf, he cannot hold a decent discussion to reveal further information about himself.

He claimed he could only consume liquids and asked me to send him to a hospital or nursing home so he could receive the necessary care and rest.

I was only able to buy him some beverages and ask a nearby, on-duty city traffic police to see if there was anything that could be done to accommodate his request.

The policeman said he would notify and phone 911, but I'm not sure if he actually did.

Please check to see if this old person's request can be granted if anyone has the power to do so.

Thanks.

අද උදෑසන කොළඹ රීගල් සිනමාහල ඉදිරිපිට පොදු බස් නැවතුම්පොළක් යට මහලු පුද්ගලයකු නිදා සිටියදී සොයා ගැනිණි.

ඔහු පාරට බැසීමට පෙර පෑස්සුම්කරුවෙකු බව ප්‍රකාශ කළ නමුත් ඔහු බිහිරි බැවින් ඔහු ගැන වැඩිදුර තොරතුරු හෙළි කරගැනීමට නොහැක.

ඔහුට පානය කළ හැක්කේ දියර වර්ග පමණක් බවත්, අවශ්‍ය ප්‍රතිකාර සහ විවේකය ලබා ගැනීමට ඔහුව රෝහලකට හෝ සාත්තු නිවාසයකට යවන ලෙසත් ඔහු මගෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටියේය.

මට හැකි වූයේ ඔහුට බීම වර්ග කිහිපයක් මිල දී ගෙන ඔහුගේ ඉල්ලීමට ඉඩ දීමට යමක් කළ හැකි දැයි බැලීමට අසල, රාජකාරියේ යෙදී සිටින නගර රථවාහන පොලිසියෙන් විමසීමට පමණි.

පොලිස් නිලධාරියා දන්වා 911ට දුරකථන ඇමතුමක් දෙන බව කී නමුත් ඔහු ඇත්තටම එසේ කළේ දැයි මට විශ්වාස නැත.

කරුණාකර මෙම මහලු පුද්ගලයාගේ ඉල්ලීම ලබා දිය හැකිද යන්න පරීක්ෂා කරන්න.

ස්තුතියි.

IS A MANDATORY SCHOOL UNIFORM A BANE OR A BOON?

Making it mandatory for children to come to school in a uniform to get an education is a very outdated concept.

Allowing them to attend school in any attire is the way forward.

Some argue that the prescription is to make all children look equal, and class disparities will not matter then, but the interesting question is for how long?

Only for 8 hours, after which the rich go their separate ways and the less fortunate go their separate ways. 

To maintain balance in society, it is necessary for there to be good and bad, wealthy, and poor, but I am not here to discuss or advocate how that balance should be allocated.

Many kids will drop out of school if they don't have a uniform to go to school, is one thing I am sure about but whether it be labelled because of prior karma, God's will, or whatever label one chooses based on their own views and convictions, is up to each individual.

In a city setting, this condition might not be as obvious, but because most of the children come from wealthy or middle-class families, the problem is not brought to light and thus most people assume that it does not exist.

However, this is fairly common in rural areas and presents a significant obstacle for many children who are less affluent.

By putting an early barrier in the form of a uniform, we are not aiding many deserving rural children in their pursuit of a better life.

A good education is the most effective method to escape poverty and lead a decent life.

If it was a matter of easy identification, then instead of requiring them to attend school wearing a proper and specific uniform, which many are unable to obtain mostly due to poverty, offer them an inexpensive, all-weatherproof identification card with a lanyard.

That would easily answer the “need to identify” argument, some pose, and currently, we do not have any serious security concerns unlike when the protracted war with the Tamil Terrorists was on a few years ago.

We should enable children to acquire an education by attending school in whatever clothes they can afford and secure, rather than trying to change the makeup of society for a few hours by requiring that all children wear a predetermined uniform.

AVOID JUST FALLING INTO ALLURING WEEKEND FAMILY PACKAGES.

Due to the current situation in the country, most hotels are trying to bring in local guests with attractive family weekend packages that include the use of the pool without additional cost.

Recently, I attended a wedding at one of these hotels, and their pool was full of young and small kids, but nowhere to be seen as any lifeguard on duty.

A couple of days ago, a 24-year-old young man drowned in the pool of one of the hotels in Mount Lavinia.

What really led to the drowning, I am not aware, but it was confirmed that the pool was left unattended.

It took a long time to locate the lifeguard who was supposed to be on duty, and due to the lifeguard's lack of lifesaving training, and availability of necessary equipment at hand, very few attempts were made to resuscitate him after being taken out of the water.

If there had been a trained person on duty that day, the fate of the young man would have been different.

Therefore, the purpose of this is not to blame anyone but rather to offer some suggestions as to what we, as individuals, may do to spare our loved ones from having to deal with such an incident while having fun in future.

Please call ahead to confirm that the facility has trained lifeguards.

Only one should commit if the bundle is alluring, a pool option is offered, and a qualified lifeguard and other paraphernalia are available.

Ensure that a lifeguard is actually on duty at the poolside at all times to handle any emergencies that may arise during their stay.

Even verifying his or her credentials and training without hesitation because your loved one's well-being is what counts most.

 

 

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HE HAD MADE ALL OF US PROUD TODAY !

Loading and unloading passengers in wheelchairs on flights were part and parcel of the ground handlers' daily work, and once the process was handled successfully, it was forgotten.

A gentleman arriving from Pakistan would have fallen into the same category if not for the incident that happened on his departing flight.

The afternoon rush was at its peak when I got a radio call from one of our colleagues to come to his flight.

He said it in a very calm voice, but knowing him well and his capacity and versatility, I sensed that it must be something important, or he would have managed alone to solve or rectify the matter.

As I entered the aircraft cabin, I immediately got a waft of a bad odour, and I could see some passengers were showing signs that they were not so pleased about the whole situation, especially with the odour wafting.

My colleague came to me and explained the issue: the gentleman who arrived from a point in Pakistan had lost his bowel control, soiled himself, and was now looking at everybody haplessly.

My first question was what we could do, but I was planning in my mind to get him and his baggage out of the aircraft and release the flight with a minimum station delay.

But my colleague had another idea and suggested that he take the passenger into a nearby restroom to assess the situation before deciding what to do if the situation was really bad.

He came back and gave his quick assessment report, suggesting that if replacement clothes could be provided, the passenger would be released without any issues.

The crew suggested using one of the overnight kits provided to premier class passengers, and the suggestion was accepted.

My colleague attended to the needs of the passenger, brought him out after cleaning him up and giving him a new set of clothes, and as a fresh and happy passenger again.

All his soiled clothes were packed, sealed, and handed over to the crew to hand them out on arrival at their destination.

As we stepped off the plane, not only those who had initially expressed their displeasure, but also many others, applauded us for a job well done.

At the end of the shift, I started my report by saying that “Essa had made all of us proud today” and indeed he did that afternoon.

After seeing my report, he was immediately nominated for a special award by the management, but later something happened behind the scenes, and instead of a special award, he was given the Employee of the Month award.

It was not his responsibility nor obligation; helping a complete stranger out of the kindness of his heart was praiseworthy at a time when many kids nowadays wouldn't do the same to their own parents.

Looted Money Located !

DEADLY COCKTAIL OF ISLAND MENTALITY AND PARANOID PERSONALITY DISORDER MIX !

A long-term habit of mistrust and suspicion of people without good cause is a sign of paranoid personality disorder (PPD), a mental health disease (paranoia).

People with PPD frequently think that others are threatening, demeaning, or harming them.

The idea that isolated societies think of themselves as exceptional or superior to the rest of the world is known as the "Island mentality."

This phrase describes the superiority of a group of people or an isolated individual on a cultural, moral, or ideological level rather than an island or other geographically isolated society.

Narrow-mindedness, ignorance, or outright animosity against any artefact (idea, ideology, lifestyle choice, an art form, etc.) originating from beyond the geographical area inhabited by the society can be used to describe island mentality.

Many people in Sri Lanka are infected with a lethal cocktail made up of the two ideas.

They always have these baseless conspiracy theories and useless showing off aloofness in their behaviour because of this.

They are being encouraged by politicians who rely more on racial tensions than on effective programs, as well as by those who wear robes to back politicians’ foolish arguments.

Without quick and efficient treatment for both illnesses, Sri Lanka would likely remain underdeveloped for a foreseeable time. 

WHY SOME SEGMENTS OF SOCIETY ARE GOOD A T DOING BUSINESS?

Why some segments of society are good at doing business?

Interesting question, and in an ethnically divided society like ours, it is better to find answers and how some, if not all, of their methods, can be adopted by others as well.

One of the most successful business communities in the world for centuries has been the Jews.

What are the secrets of their success?

They are no longer secrets, and a few methods that they practice can be adopted and practised by others as well.

The first and foremost one is honesty in all dealings.

Many would disagree with me when I say this.

I do not want to deal with dissenters, but if honesty was missing in their dealing, they would not have been in business for this long.

Most of the practices are commandments and they follow them diligently.

One is that a father should teach his son how to make an honest living and, further, it goes to say, to teach him how to swim.

It should not be taken literally and what it means is to teach how to navigate in different and difficult conditions to survive.

The next one is to have a very positive relationship with money.

Money is yet another tool to be used for the betterment of oneself and others, and it is not as evil as some belief. 

Never be too shy or proud to ask for help from your own community.

If the person standing next to you in prayer would not help, do you think a total stranger would?

The same with giving.

Give back to your community first.

Make it a practice to give to charity.

Muslims recommend 3%, while Jews recommend 10%.

You can’t wipe out all evils by just giving to charity, but even if a few would get help, it is better than doing nothing.

Always aspire to be an owner rather than a worker.

This rings the entrepreneurial bell in most people, and it makes good sense too.

Further, never be envious of another’s success, but rather be happy as you can learn from their experience and incorporate their methods into your business too.

Another important thing is not to neglect your bread and butter.

When success knocks, many get distracted and tend to take their eyes off the ball to pay more attention to other matters and ventures.

Their success formula is to pay 90% of your attention to your bread and butter, 8% to any future projects, and the balance of 2% to your dreams.

Never do to others anything you would not want them to do to you.

In other words, to avoid karmic repercussions.

Their recommendation for wealth is to be segregated and hedged, so if one goes bad for a period, others will provide the necessary cushioning.

The ideal ratio is to have 1/3 of your wealth in cash, 1/3 in inventory, and the other 1/3 in real estate.

They are more risk-takers than others because of their strong belief in God.

If we try hard enough, God will make it happen, is what they believe 

If we do not try hard and are ready to give up, then divine intervention will not come. 

Finally, take a day off from your busy schedule each week to have time for yourself, to pay attention to family and others' needs, and to be able to come back and resume your day fully charged for the next six days.

I do not think that any of them are non-adoptable practices, and therefore anyone can duplicate their success by simply following those steps.

Disclaimer: The goal of this post is not to elevate or denigrate any group in our society; rather, it is to highlight some simple, doable alternatives for those that struggle.

Inspiration from

FOR LEANER, MORE ROBUST, EFFICIENT AND GREENER PUBLIC SERVICE

 According to official data, Sri Lanka's public sector now employs more than 1.5 million people, doubling in size over the previous 15 years.

Despite having one public servant for every 14 inhabitants, efficiency in the public sector is lower than that of Sri Lanka's Asian counterparts.

The need for staff reductions in public services has been going on for some time now and there are many suggestions from various corners already percolating in the media.

A reduction drive should have to have a multi-prong approach to be successful.

The first one is to cut down on the cost of maintaining excessive staff.

The second one is to determine the optimum numbers needed to be efficient and accountable. 

The third is to create a safety net to avoid retrenchment staff not becoming a burden to the system a few years down the line. 

The fourth goal is to encourage and provide incentives for individuals to advance in a new and useful vocation by obtaining additional education and training. 

The fifth will be to level the playing field for budding entrepreneurs. 

Therefore, the first step is the formation of a panel of experts assembled with local talents to assess and recommend the optimum numbers required in each field. 

If any financial and or further expert assistance is needed in this venture, we should seek experts assistance from world-renowned lending agencies for support for the drive.

Unless a very safe and attractive safety net is created first, voluntary retirement and or enticing staff to accept the so-called Golden Handshake will not be possible.

Taking up training in other useful fields can be facilitated with institutes like the Open University of Sri Lanka, vocational training institutes and other state universities.

Creating a fair playing field for budding entrepreneurs means cutting down on bureaucracy and red tape in business registrations, export/import licensing, and obtaining funds from leading banks and other financial institutes.

My recommendations for a golden handshake are as below.

·        Pay a lump sum equal to 60 times (five years' salary) the net pay. 

·        Transfer the amount to one of his or her designated bank accounts,

·        Either a fixed or fluctuating interest payment is agreed upon based on the prevailing rates.

o   Currently, one can easily obtain up to 20–25 per cent, depending on the institute.

·         Hold the deposit as a 60-month deposit while receiving a monthly interest payment,

·         Encourage financial institutes to extend loan facilities up to a maximum of 40% against the capital sum deposited on self-employment,

·         Allow depositors the freedom to negotiate further interest rates with the respective institutes after the 60-month holding period has expired. 

 

Assuming an individual’s monthly take-home pay is LKR 35,000.00.

35,000 x 60 = 2,100,000

The interest is assuming 20% per annum (with monthly withdrawals),

Per Annum,

LKR 420,000

(20/100 x 2,100,000 = 420,000),

Or monthly,

LKR 35,000

(420,000 / 12 = 35,000).

Those who avail themselves of the golden handshake opportunity will get the same amount of money each month as interest payment and without even having to work, which will be a bonus as most of their other hidden expenditures will be drastically reduced due to having to stop working, such as transportation, clothes, and other maintenance requirements.

There are many indirect social benefits as well. Being able to spend more time with his or her family will improve both mental health and physical health as well.

The unit of the family will be bonded together.

Further, lesser environmental degradation.

Even the financial institutions will be in a better position with a load of cash in their care to disburse without having to raise further capital to meet regulatory requirements from time to time.

If 50% of them opted for reemployment in the private sector, it would be a boost to the current flagrant manpower shortages, plus the market gene pool would be healthier and more competitive too.

The digitalization of state sector activities will have to go hand in hand with these reforms for better and healthier outputs. 

Assuming the panel of experts’ recommendation is to let go at least 60% of the current total, that means that 900,000 must be removed.

Now the next question is how to raise such a large sum of money for the project.

Naturally from the local money supply market issuing an attractive government bond to mature in five years.

Even if the rate is slightly higher than the current market rate, with the money saved on non-paying salaries, it will be a big blessing for the country in the long run.

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