Provide solutions, not distractions

Every day seems filled with uproar about the state of the economy, the unpredictable hike in fuel prices, escalating taxation, and the constant struggle to keep up with the increasing cost of living. Amidst this chaotic landscape, the government’s priorities in tackling our country’s burning issues seem misplaced. Due to political agendas and the fight to win favour with some constituents and affiliated parties, the authorities have turned towards the tobacco and alcohol industries for an easy win. While curbing alcoholism and the fight against tobacco is a noble cause, one must question whether it is right to use these as bait to distract the public from the government’s inability to solve even the most basic issues such as garbage disposal.

While I commend the government for their diligent work in this regard, I have noticed that whenever the government faces a lot of pressure from the public to address larger social issues such as corruption, poverty, proper access to clean water and of course the garbage fiasco, it is inevitably followed by a lot of talk on their next steps toward eradicating smoking and drinking in Sri Lanka. Currently, the latest debate appears centred around the plain packaging of cigarettes. This appears to be a crude distraction to direct the conversation away from the aforementioned burning issues for which these officials are accountable to find timely solutions.

Anne Seneviratne,

Via email