Do not Crush the Aspirations and Interests of the Young and Small Investors

Not so long ago, my daughter reached the voting age and so was the bank balance in her minor account, the six figure mark.

When Union Bank of Si Lanka announced its share offer (IPO) recently, she wanted to invest some of her savings in shares.

She did apply and now waiting to hear about the outcome of her first attempt in investment.

The latest I read about this IPO was that it was oversubscribed by more than 300%.

This is a healthier sign.

Yet, I am clueless as to what type of modality would be used in determining the final spread of the spoil in a scenario like this but hopeful that small and young investors like my daughter would not be crushed by the big investors.

The regulatory authority (hopefully the Colombo Stock Exchange), I am sure has the power to oversee, advocate and impose the most reasonable proration method to ensure that small and especially young investors  (like daughter’s)  interests and investments are duly protected.

If such powers and or modalities are presently not available, then it is time the regulator authorities to draw up plans to deal with such scenarios in future.

Please do not crush the aspirations and interests of young and small investors, who would be the cornerstone of our future development.

We are now eagerly waiting to see what would in the white envelope.

Sasanka De Silva,

Whales Weep Not!

The Minkes were being chased by the Japanese whalers and they were being trailed and chased by the Sea Sheppard craft.

At least for a while the Minkes can have a sigh of relief now because The Japanese have temporarily suspended their whale hunt.

The Sea Sheppard is a Conservationist group backed up by one of the biggest meat exporters of the world.

I do not think that it is irrational to wonder whether their real agenda behind all those protests and clashes is to protect and conserve an endangered species, namely in this instance the Whales or to protect and conserve their financial backers lucrative market share? 

The truth will be known soon!

The Nature has its own checks and balances.

Trying too much to meddle with them too has their own negative consequences.

Like humans, the animals too have a right to live and roam freely and enjoy their lives to the fullest.

Sooner We undersatnd this, it is better for both!

What development to expect when both Public as well as Private sector is performing in this manner?

The Scene One.

Seventeen days after paying money in full only the installation and connection were completed by a private television company.

At the time of payment, it was to take only three to five working days to complete the transaction.

I am still trying to understand the true meaning of their interpretation of the phrase “Working Day” as it is apparently obvious that they do have fewer working days than non-working days.

Exactly the same numbers of days were taken by someone to travel around the world in a hot air balloon a few years back.

The installation party confirmed their arrival in the morning but arrived at the location five hours later.

That too without many of the tools needed for the work.

And imaging the plight of us, if we were unable to provide them the things that they were supposed to carry along with them in their mobile unit.  

The company was happy to blame everything under the Sun like high demand, holidays, inclement weather to name a few than admitting neither their incompetency nor apologetic.

The Scene  Two.

The street lamp in front of the house catches fire when switched on.

First the Electricity Board was contacted which was not under their purview, so we were told.

The Urban council was contacted then and was assured that the reported fault would be corrected.

Two weeks have elapsed but the status of the street lamp is as it was before.

The latest excuse was that their break-down unit would visit our residential area only on Thursdays.

Now I am waiting till the next Thursday.

But not to get the issue sorted out but to hear another lame excuses from them only.

What development would one expect when both the Public as well as the Private sector is performing in this manner?

The time has arrived to purge such non or under performers, if one truly believing in achieving a real and lasting development in this country.

Development at what cost? Part II

http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2011/01/01/development-at-what-cost/

Development at what cost?

http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2011/01/01/development-at-what-cost/

Development at what cost?

Yesterday, I was shocked and amazed to see the safety regulations being openly violated at the Matara-Colombo Hi-way construction site situated at Makumbura.

The workers were allowed to work on machineries, carry heavy items etc without the proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs).

Except for Hard-hats, no other protective equipment has been provided to any of the staffs working at this site.

When I tried to communicate with one of the foreign nationals overseeing the operation at this site to raise my concerns, he was pretending not to understand a word of English.

I am sure those who have accepted the BOT (Build/Operate & Transfer) contracts are aware of those safety concerns and given enough provisions to fulfill all the requirements prior to acceptance.

I also wonder where the government Health & Safety inspectors were.

Development is necessary but at what cost and on whose expense are important questions that we need to ask when such flagrant violations being committed openly.

“The Greedy Buddha Restaurant”

A mail doing rounds with a heading “The Greedy Buddha Restaurant” somewhere in the United Kingdom with a couple of pictures of it and a passionate appeal written to the owner of the establishment by a shocked Buddhist, who discovered it recently.
Should the Buddhists be alarmed of this development?
No!
First, the name itself is self-defeating.
Because the word “Buddha” means the” Enlightened One” and no enlightened one can be greedy.
The Gautama Buddha was the second in the long line of Teachers who have shunned the idea of idol worshipping and it was almost 500 years after the passing away of this great teacher that the erection of statues took roots in the Buddhist culture.
The intention of choosing such an eye catching name is to get an instant attention, and then the owner of the establishment is quite successful, given the attention it gets on the internet.
If the reason is ignorance, insult or both, then the owner has done a great favour to those who believe that they are follower of that faith.
Tolerance and compassion are the whole marks of the Buddha’s teaching and such an act would only helps the believers to truly test their core believes.
Blasphemy was a word that has come to our vocabulary much later and has no true meaning to it, except to cover up one’s own weaknesses and blames and shames another for one’s own failings and inadequacies.
No ordinary person can shame an Enlightened One and if anyone believes that it is possible, then there is something faulty in his or her thinking faculty.
“Lokha Samastha Sukino Bawanthu”.