A tribute to Linda Whetstone from Sri Lanka

On December 15, 2021, in the midst of those who loved her and all those who she loved back, Linda Whetstone left this world at the epicenter of the institution that her later father, Sir Antony Fisher founded, The Atlas Network.

Linda was a beacon of light to all those who believed in freedom and human dignity. She was a generous donor and an advisor to think tanks and liberals around the world. 

The Advocata Institute bears testimony to the support and strength she gave to Sri Lankans to stand against the crude shadow of populist nationalism that had overwhelmed the fabric of social life in our country.  Before the founding of Advocata, liberal ideas around economics were held by a few scattered individuals and lacked an organized and coherent voice.  Our partnership with Atlas Network, which Linda Whetstone chaired at the time,  was pivotal in making us effective communicators and advocates of these ideas in Sri Lanka.
 
The team at Advocata remembers fondly Linda’s strong encouragement, belief and trust in us as a young organization to host the 2019 Asia Liberty Forum held in Colombo. One of the youngest think tanks in the Atlas network to host a major event.  Dear Linda, you were one of the cornerstones at the Atlas Network that had the confidence that we could pull it off. 

During the 2019 Asia Liberty Forum,  Linda personally sponsored half a dozen young people to attend the conference. Over the years with her support, Advocata Institute and The NightWatchman Society has been able to translate books about basic economic ideas to help expand the knowledge of young people and decision makers, a cause she believed in firmly. 

Linda Whetstone also has the unique distinction of serving as the  President of the Mont Pelerin Society and also as a board member and adviser of the Institute of Economic Affairs and Students for Liberty as well as numerous other organizations.  

The world of free market thinkers has lost a champion of liberty.  Linda will be fondly remembered by all those who were inspired, encouraged and influenced and who were fortunate enough to have been associated with her in life.

We will miss her infectious energy, her support and friendship. 

The founding members of the Advocata Institute

DevEx mentions Advocata in "State capability and liberty must advance together to end poverty".

Matt Warner, the president of the Atlas Network, recently quoted Advocata Institute’s work in Sri Lanka in an interview with DevEx. DevEx is a media platform for the global development community. It is also the largest provider of recruiting and business development services for global development.

In Sri Lanka, Advocata Institute worked with policymakers to eliminate a tariff on sanitary napkins after seeing the effect artificially high prices had on female workforce participation and school attendance in rural areas.

The article can be accessed here.

Pulse mentions Advocata in "The Conditions Of Developing Enterprises In Sri Lanka" video

Pulse mentions Advocata Institute’s recent findings on legal and regulatory barriers to micro and small entrepreneurs in their latest video on the “The Conditions of Developing Enterprises in Sri Lanka”. This video also mentions an ongoing online competition by Advocata called #MyStoryLK.

Survey finds 81% of Sri Lankans claim that state enterprises do not provide enough services to justify losses

First appeared in Economy Next, Republic Next, Daily Mirror, Daily News, and Daily FT.

A door to door public opinion poll conducted earlier this year covering 855 respondents in 8 provinces of Sri Lanka reveal that an overwhelming majority of Sri Lankans believe that the losses sustained by State-Owned Enterprises are not justified, compared to the services they provide.

The poll found no significant differences among income, gender or socio-economic groups. Respondents from the Central Province were more likely to believe that the services provided justified losses, with 39% holding this opinion. Those from the Southern and Western Provinces were least likely to believe that the services justified losses, with only 6% from the Southern Province and 12% from the Western Province saying the losses were justified.

According to the Third Report of the COPE, the 18 SOEs with financial statements investigated in the report made a net loss in 2018 amounting to Rs. 61 billion. The report highlights that the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation alone made an enormous loss of Rs. 105 billion in 2018, while the National Water Supply and Drainage Board incurred a loss of Rs. 505 million, and Elkaduwa Plantation Ltd. incurred a loss of Rs. 33 million. Of the 23 institutions being examined, five were found to have annual losses over Rs. 2 million, while another five did not have end-of-year financial statements to present.

A recent report by the Advocata Institute “The State of State Enterprises in Sri Lanka - 2019” highlighted that SOEs are vulnerable to mismanagement and corruption because of potential conflicts between the ownership and policy-making functions of the government, and undue political influence on their policies, appointments, and business practices. The report recommended that the government actively engage in strengthening SOEs and their service delivery by compiling a comprehensive list of all SOEs and setting basic reporting procedures; strengthening COPE and COPA; and implementing the internationally accepted Principles of Corporate Governance.

The complete survey can be accessed here.