Dear Friends and Colleagues,
As we approach the end of the year, there is much to look back on and reflect upon. I am glad to share with you some of the highlights of the recent month in this Verité Bulletin.
We have long felt that democracy is not meaningful when citizens are not critically cognizant of the information in relation to public finance. This is why Verité Research strategically expanded its work on Public Finance. The platform that we built, PublicFinance.lk, is probably the pre-eminent locus for information and analysis on the state of Sri Lanka’s public finance.
Many of our platforms engaged on the budget. Our fact checking platform FactCheck.lk conducted live factchecking of the budget speech! This was a huge success, and included fact checks on Sri Lanka’s true Human Development Index rating and the government’s expenditure on public debt. Manthri.lk published the latest update on its Gota-Meter, tracking the progress of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s actionable election promises (as reflected in the budget as well).
During the budget debates in parliament, we heard many MPs referring to the research and analysis done by Verité, and thereby engaging more substantially and meaningfully in the debate. One MP formally tabled in parliament Verité’s public report on the budget – which is a shadow report of what should be produced by the parliamentary Committee on Public Finance. Verité’s exposé on the budget going soft on cigarette taxes was taken up vigorously, and our Verité Insight on De-mystifying the Increase in Debt went viral – the twitter post pointing readers to the article had 30 thousand impressions within 4 days of it being published.
Separately, the research directors of Verité have featured prominently in public and media events, unpacking the state of the economy and Sri Lanka’s options for the future. The survey that Verité did with farmers in Sri Lanka has now been featured in more than a dozen publications locally and globally, including The Economist, and The New York Times. Our media engagement products and tracking of parliament also continued to generate high traction over the last few months.
One measure we have of transformative impact is that the knowledge brought out by Verité would be used by third parties as if it was their own, and become part of the “common sense”. In the last few months, we have seen this to be the case regularly in parliament, the press and electronic media, especially in relation to the budget and Sri Lanka’s debt management. We have been explaining that best course for Sri Lanka is to pre-emptively restructure its dollar debt, rather than continuing to pay it on schedule. Presently, even the JVP has come to that stance.
We have also been working on two major initiatives which will come to fruition later next year. One is an air quality monitoring platform that will centralise real time air quality data in Sri Lanka. The second is the launch of a new aggregating platform called Verité Media, centralising all our media related research, platforms and products. More on these when I write to you next year!
Thank you for your continued support and engagement with Verité Research.
Wishing you the blessing of the season,
Nishan de Mel, Executive Director
The budget in a colony is dictated by the imperialists and colonists. Countries economy has been in the hands of Indian colonists since 1796 and particularly since 1840 after the Business Registration Ordinance. Indian colonists run the economy and hence the politics of the Indian colony.
THUPPAHI: “JOHN SMITH” is the pseudonym of a rabid India-hater. iN HIS MIND (Yes probablya male) INDIA is a world colussus behind all the machinations involving Sri Lanka. …… PS: “jOHN SMITH” is permitted these fanatical and fantastic outbursts so that readers can witness the dangers cast by extremist NUTS via modern media.
Thanks Mr. Roberts, I am a Thuppahi! Jai Hind.
Thanks Thuppahi, by the way I could be one of them as much as Roberts can be. Sorry for being personal. I beg you to comment on historical importance of the years I have noted. The economic and political effects.
Verily I say unto you, This is crude anti-Gota propaganda deliberately concealing the global economic context in which the budget for 2022 had to be worked out.
Verite folks do professional work , and this crude comment without giving valid reasons smacks of servility to Rajapaksa Sinhala nationalist ideology that is creating havoc in multicultural Srilanka. Flawed foreign and economic policy has failed miserably and blaming Covid instead of the idiotic mismanagement of economy cannot save Srilanka from impending doom . Enjoy your life overseas and leave people of this country alone at least now . Third grade pseudo-academics are equally responsible for the ongoing debacle in our motherland
I have tried many times to talk to these profs on the numbers provided. Ring them and they put you through for ever or it is the wrong number. I always look at the money first in the current world. Who is sponsoring or financing this mob? I am sure one of their Advisors can enlighten us.
I think the budget is what anyone could have done under the current circumstances.
The real issues are Covid, Fertilizer, Gas, Food prices and shortages, Exchange and of course red wrist band, from Kali’s pad from her mensuarating mouth and Nanakka.
My response to John is appearing in my Article appeared in Financial Times today. The link is given below
https://www.ft.lk/columns/As-I-see-Budget-2022/4-727968
Budget 2022 is a valiant effort to boost the the Rajapakse family tree and justify the omissions, commissions, faults and faltering of a Government rather than claiming credit for what was achieved (if any). See what the Budget says:
“Honorable Speaker,
I first came to learn the concept of Challenging the Challenges for the betterment of the public in my ancestral home in Madamulana. The Rajapakse’s have a history of never being daunted by challenges. Mr. D.M.Rajapakse, who is known as the “the Lion of Ruhuna”, who represented the second State Council in 1936 is known by the entire country. He is my father’s elder brother (loku thaththa).
Honorable Speaker,
My father’s election to the State Council in 1945 was a key political turning point for the Ruhunu Giruwaya. To date, the land and the lives of the people of Ruhuna bears evidence of Mr.D.A. Rajapaksa’s futuristic and visionary patriotism.
Honorable Speaker,
The Hon. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse who is today in this House, is at the center of the Rajapakse Political legacy. The decade from 2005 to 2015 was the most critical 10-year period of Independent Sri Lanka.
Honorable Speaker,
I take this an opportunity to enlighten this House about our strengths, briefly.
Bold leadership and political stability
Our country, has the highest democratic political stability in the region. We have an Executive President elected by the people. Our President embodies simplicity, and is a leader, who is honest, makes firm decisions, and is dedicated to the eradication of corruption, fraud, and waste. He is a great strength to our way forward. At the same time, we have a two-thirds majority in the Parliament.
Honorable Speaker,
This Parliament is led by Asia’s most mature political leader, Hon. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. He is a leader who has rendered an extraordinary service to this nation.”
D A and DM stories are ok till 1951. But things changed after Bhagawandas Hidramani got hold of Banda on behalf of India and Indians. 1956 Vaasala Voplawaya (Caste revolution) was the end of our country.
Budget 2022 is a more apolitical statement and an attempt to build up the lost image built up by cheer leaders.
Why do I say so?
“”Honorable Speaker,
I first come to learn the concept of Challenging the Challenges for the betterment of the public in my ancestral home in Madamulana. The Rajapakse’s have a history of never being daunted by challenges. Mr. D.M.Rajapakse, who is known as the “the Lion of Ruhuna”, who represented the second State Council in 1936 is known by the entire country. He is my father’s elder brother (loku thaththa).
Honorable Speaker,
My father’s election to the State Council in 1945 was a key political turning point for the Ruhunu Giruwaya. To date, the land and the lives of the people of Ruhuna bears evidence of Mr.D.A. Rajapaksa’s futuristic and visionary patriotism.
Honorable Speaker,
The Hon. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse who is today in this House, is at the center of the Rajapakse Political legacy. The decade from 2005 to 2015 was the most critical 10-year period of Independent Sri Lanka.”
“Our Strengths Honorable Speaker,
I take this an opportunity to enlighten this House about our strengths, briefly.
Bold leadership and political stability
Our country has the highest democratic political stability in the region. We have an Executive President elected by the people. Our President embodies simplicity, and is a leader, who is honest, makes firm decisions, and is dedicated to the eradication of corruption, fraud, and waste. He is a great strength to our way forward. At the same time, we have a two-thirds majority in the Parliament.
Honorable Speaker,
This Parliament is led by Asia’s most mature political leader, Hon. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. He is a leader who has rendered an extraordinary service to this nation.””
It is difficult to cover the nudity with a bottomless basin.