charindra chandrasena  00:05
Dananath and Riyadh.

Dhananath Fernando  00:07
Hi, Chari. Hi, hi.

charindra chandrasena  00:08
How are the four cues?

Speaker 1  00:10
Fortunately, didn't get to go on one. Yeah, I pumped up early.

charindra chandrasena  00:14
Oh, you got inside information.

Speaker 1  00:18
No comment.

charindra chandrasena  00:22
Full time. How are you?

Dhananath Fernando  00:26
I mean, I'm running low on fuel, but I haven't still gone to the queues to basically refill it. But probably have to join today or tomorrow.

Speaker 1  00:38
Yeah, one of these days, my friend. One of these days, yeah,

Dhananath Fernando  00:40
I'm just postponing, hoping that the Middle East will come to some level up. Hoping that,

charindra chandrasena  00:45
hoping that Trump comes to his chances. Exactly. But

Speaker 1  00:49
Chari, I don't know in a visa thing. Actually, for queues, but diesel is actually less. Yeah, like friend of mine yesterday said that he went and pumped a full tank. He said it was no issue. There was no queues, nothing. A particular shedding or some like I think cohort or something. So I I don't know. The most of the queues are there, especially with small vehicles, because the the time that you go and you stop at the pump and you you open the tank pump and all that, it's the same. Either you pump five litres or 10 litres or 15 litres. To pump the fuel, it only takes like a minute or so. But the problem is the whole process of going there, stopping a vehicle, opening the tank, pumping, then closing the tank, paying, and all that. It's the same. So even for a small car or a big vehicle, the the that that process of going and pumping the fuel that is, and then you get a lot of queues of motorcycles, mopeds, and three wheelers, so that is where the thing is. But because most of the guys who actually have particular diesel vehicles, generally they run big tanks, and normally guys who I know for a fact, the guys who run diesel vehicles and all that, generally they don't pump five litres or 10 litres. And one shot they either pump half a tank or they they tank it up because generally the tanks are big.

charindra chandrasena  02:00
So that is, but I mean, if whether the whether the demand is higher for petrol or diesel,

Speaker 1  02:06
yeah,

charindra chandrasena  02:07
it it results in the same thing because they are all in the queue. No,

Speaker 1  02:12
yeah, the process is the same.

charindra chandrasena  02:13
That's why because they are having huge queues. Not really,

Speaker 1  02:15
not really, because in some shells the diesel pump is separate. Some, yeah. So you mean

charindra chandrasena  02:20
these are queue is separate.

Speaker 1  02:21
It's a queue separate. So thing is, so so some of the places you know the reason per. There's only like five vehicles, right?

charindra chandrasena  02:27
So the separation I've seen Riyadh is where the tuks and maybe the bikes are in a separate queue, and all the other vehicles. So tuks and

Speaker 1  02:36
exactly the tuks. So they have segregated the sheds that can segregate because some sheds they only have two pumps or maybe four pumps, but then you get the big sheds which have like eight and 10 pumps. So those sheds generally they have a more better structural approach. But the problem is when you have more pumps, that means you have more vehicles also. So that creates a bit of a blockage. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So so

charindra chandrasena  02:56
the the the now the the root of this problem, well, the root of this problem is Trump. The the actual root is Trump and then the war and all of that. But if you take domestically, the root of this immediate problem that we have in now about the full queues and the associated problems is the QR code?

Speaker 2  03:22
Yeah.

charindra chandrasena  03:22
Okay. The QR code was announced the end of Saturday towards midnight.

Speaker 1  03:30
Yeah.

charindra chandrasena  03:32
Since then, apparently 50,000 registrations have happened on Sunday. That's a small number.

Speaker 1  03:40
Yeah.

charindra chandrasena  03:42
There have been complaints about I changed my car. I mean, it's been almost four years. I changed my car, and now I don't have a QR code. Some people have been saying the chassis number is not matching, and therefore that's a problem. Some people have been saying that their QR code itself is not working. So many issues. Just generally, right? One of you can go first. Generally, what is your assessment of how the government rolled out the QR code?

Dhananath Fernando  04:19
Yeah, Chari, I have a. I'll take that up first, Ria. I have a slightly a different view on this QR thing. I think to begin with, it's the wrong tool that they used to begin with. The QR code. I'll tell you the my reasoning. I saw also on social media there was a big comparison of like 2022 because

charindra chandrasena  04:40
so you're saying even in 2022 it's the wrong tool.

Dhananath Fernando  04:43
It's the wrong tool, but there are two. I mean, there are major difference between the 2022 and this one. The difference was in 2022, it was $1 shortage. There were enough fuel. If we had dollars, we didn't have dollars. Now I think we have not dollars. Like you know, excessively, but we have we have sufficient sufficient dollars to buy fuel, but there's no fuel in the world.

charindra chandrasena  05:07
Supply is concerned. Supply is constrained.

Dhananath Fernando  05:10
Now the challenge is when we look at the now there are two ways that you can now what we are trying to do is on the supply side to constrain that. But actually, if you by by doing that, we are trying to curtail the demand. We are saying we are saying okay, we are giving like 15 litres this number of litres. So you manage it within. But the challenge is to actually the better tool is okay. I'll leave that aside. I think the first tool that you have to do is the demand control by the price mechanism. Even when we look at the numbers, I mean this is unpopular opinion. We haven't been follow. I mean the prices has to go up by at least about 100 rupees to 200 rupees. Diesel ideal about 200 rupees, petrol about 100 rupees to match the current global prices. Now what we are trying to do is without adjusting the prices. I mean we increase it by 24 rupees, but without adjusting it in full scale, we are keeping the price a little lower. Of course, there's a tax. I'm my my numbers are including all taxes the government charges. They charge about 100 rupees, 117 rupees taxes, and another I think 19 rupees, approximately 100 rupees for diesel. So inclusive of all that. But when you do that, what you are doing it is you are not actually curtailing the demand. Now many people will go because it's sold at a lower price. Many people will go and tank as much as possible. I know it's a quota, but even they will start tanking and keeping it as like a reserve, even in their vehicle because now they are scared. Ideally, if you increase the prices, the demand will that that rationing would happen automatically with the pricing.

charindra chandrasena  06:48
Would that actually happen, Dana? Now, so what you have pointed out yourself is that 30% of the nation's population consumes 70% of the fuel, and that also follows from that is 70% only get 30% Correct. Now that 30% or say at least 15% of them, see the elasticity of fuel really wouldn't matter to them. No. Correct. So, wouldn't they hold anyway? And would an increase in price not just lead to a further gap, further widening of the haves and the have-nots? Correct. No,

Dhananath Fernando  07:32
valid point. But my argument is even in the rationale, the same thing will happen at a greater scale, because look at the shed donors. Look at I mean, even if you go to pump now, I'm sure all of them. I'm not endorsing. There was a famous saying even during the previous crisis. These the people who are pumping at the pump, they were eating biryani and they were having very good meals during that time because it was easier for them to. I mean, you know, they are pumping extra litres, right? So the same thing happens because you know the people who have basically. I mean, they can. I mean, even if you look at the corporate accounts and all of them, they are basically pumping. I mean, those who have are the people who have contacts. So basically, this rationing doesn't matter to them, right? The poorest, I mean, the three wheeler. If you look at the longest queues, you may not see like a lot of V8 and all. Of course, as a number, it's low. But but people who are suffering is the other guys. But I'm okay. If you really want to bring QR, I still think it has to come with a price escalation. It's like you know the debt restructuring. You know before you depreciate the currency or like before you float the currency, you have to increase the interest rates because now without that market system, now it's convenient for them to hold. I mean, I'm not saying hoarding happens in like you know massive tanks. They will hold in their tanks as as much as possible, even the 15 litres that will not curtail the demand, and also the 2022 the fuel issue. I think we are missing a bigger point, since it was $1 crisis. While there was the QR code implementation was taking place, there was a massive operation went on searching for more dollars, if you recall, India donated like 500 million overnight. China came up with a swap. Of course, we couldn't utilise it. But again, India contributed about I think about 1.5 billion to 2 billion at a very short period of time, and then we stopped prepaying our debt. So there was $1 saving process parallelly went with the QR process. So how we solved it was basically also you know managing the dollars because I think if I remember right, I checked the days. It was in May month of May we implemented the QR code in 2022, but we defaulted on 12th of April. So that's how we managed. So I think we are making. It doesn't mean that I'm not saying the QR code is like you know I'm not saying it's a completely a bad idea, but it's a it's a bad idea. I'm not sure about the tools because if you recall the first mistake I think we did was we should have increased the price because we you know after regardless of all criticisms for the the previous whatever the process, at least we knew what the formula was. At least there was a press statement, there was a tweet saying this is the formula, and now no one knows the formula. And Verity Research has a nice fold tracker. It indicates that we are not doing it according to the formula. Our numbers indicates the same, so we have been adjusting, but no one knew, and it has to be adjusted quite. I mean, one month was too. I mean, the duration was too far, too long, and at the same time, we really did not adjust. And when we did not adjust, even a 24 rupee increase was a big gamma. I mean, if we have been adjusting, we should have like look at what governor did when he jacked up the interest rates. It was, I mean, he he increased it like you know historic levels. I mean, you have you haven't seen that level of a increase interest rate increase in the history. Here also we should have done it overnight. So you're

charindra chandrasena  11:19
basically saying let the market determine the price without artificially keeping it low. Even if you're hiking it, don't hike it halfway and half-heartedly. Absolutely, let it go. Absolutely,

Dhananath Fernando  11:31
I am not saying by having said all that, it doesn't mean that it will solve all the problems, and there will be other repercussions of that decision as well.

charindra chandrasena  11:41
Yeah, so that's the repercussions is what I'm going to ask you about next. And Riyad, you can also come in here. But basically, what happens to the poor?

Dhananath Fernando  11:48
Yeah, simple question. No, absolutely. So there has to be the activation from the social safety net. You have to increase the numbers for that, for sure. I mean, you have to give. I mean, the the the the fisher the fisherman or whoever I mean you know at the bottom of the pyramid you have to but at the moment sorry we are trying to do do the same with the rationing system in a very inefficient way if you look at person I mean the boat the the the the fisheries guys how are they going to I mean they can't do a QR code

charindra chandrasena  12:17
no but they they are they are in a different category exactly what they are saying

Dhananath Fernando  12:21
so exactly that's the problem. Now, ambulance has a different category.

charindra chandrasena  12:24
Tourism tourism has a different category,

Dhananath Fernando  12:26
and and the ambulances are a different category. Public transport, depending on the distance, there is a different category. So,

charindra chandrasena  12:33
so nationally sensitive sectors have been given exemptions.

Dhananath Fernando  12:36
Absolutely. So this is where things become complicated, in my view, because then it becomes a it becomes a little too you know it becomes too much rather than you doing it with the pricing because my argument is okay if you increase the prices you have to allow all the prices to go up I mean then the three wheeler prices everything will go up actually that gives an incentive for people like us then we will consider okay fine I am better of not staying in the queue rather than I'll take the tuk. So actually, the tuk guy, the bottom of the pyramid person, can earn a higher income because now I'm motivated to go because I feel like okay, I'll keep my car because it's no longer affordable for me, or even if it's affordable, I'll save it, but I'll take the tuk, and tuk guy can, and then the you know supply becomes for more.

charindra chandrasena  13:23
I'm less incentive to travel anyway. Absolutely, you might you might choose to stay at home. Riyad, so I want to talk about the technicalities of the of the QR code also. But but since Dana brought up this point, is that where you stand as well?

Speaker 1  13:40
Yeah, particularly yeah, because yeah, I am also on the same. I am also on the same pedestal here. So the thing is, with now, for example, now this whole thing about no, there's a price cap. No, basically a few. This thing is there's a cap. So thing is, we have multiple operators in the country. I think we have altogether about four because we have the biggest one, what you call Cipetco. Then you have LIUC. We have Sinopec. Can we have Shell? The thing is, at least now all of them commonly they use there's a common terminal CPSVL, right? The petroleum terminal they all use the common one. So it can be a foreign vessel. It can be a LIOC vessel. Can be a Sinnepec vessel. Can be a Shell vessel, but all the vessels they come and pump into this common terminal CPSTL, Ceylon Petroleum Storage Limited, right? So CPSTL it comes there. Now the thing is, from there only they also take their quota out, right? So I think they have an internal system how they basically settle the accounts. The scenario is they should have actually at least let the private operators you sell it at whatever economical price you think you can sell it. Correct. So C P I mean what do you call C P C can say? Listen, you know we have a wider responsibility of you know there are people who can't afford we can't just let the prices go, right? So we will we will cap it at some level. But the thing is, you want to understand there are. Another three operators there, and when there are three operators, there'll be competition among them also. So they won't just you know take whatever price they want, they won't sell it. So we need to kind of open it up because you have to let the market determine. This is something that every continuous Sri Lankan government has got messed up. They always want to intervene, and when you intervene, what happens is generally you markets principles of markets go astray. When principle of markets go astray, only thing what you are going to get is you are going to get shortages. That's what happens. Now currently the shortage, the diesel or the petrol is there. Sorry, but there is a huge queue. That is also a shortage. Even though the government is saying no, no, no, we have fuel. I think today they put out a statement saying that there's enough fuel for particular fuel for particular maybe another one month or something like that. I think again in Parliament, I think it was this thing. It was there on the news a little while ago. So even though it's there, if you're staying in a queue for whatever period, that's a sign of a shortage, right? And these queues are not like you know four or five vehicles, no. You have to stay behind hundreds of yeah, right? So that is there. That is not there. Rationing

charindra chandrasena  16:01
is not ideal.

Speaker 1  16:02
Exactly. So I am also on the same same boat with Dana. Okay, but I

charindra chandrasena  16:07
want to stay on that, Riyadh. Now, so this laissez-faire sort of philosophy that you guys are advocating, the the the logic from the government side is if we just let the market dictate everything, what's the point of us being there, right? We have to because the market doesn't have emotions, right? Market doesn't care if you're poor or rich. Market will just go on its own way, and and naturally it will, you know. So what what what's the point of having a government?

Speaker 1  16:42
So the biggest operator in the country is the government. CBC is the biggest operator in the country. So I mean, so yeah. To

Dhananath Fernando  16:50
add to that, if I yeah, of course they can. Of course, the government has a role. I mean, for an example, they can in a way. I mean, this is to. I mean, not to this crisis. For an example, when we have like four or five operators, they could have, for an example, say if you want to be an operator, you should have, for an example, strategic reserve, which is for about 30 days. So then, like you know, four operators together, it covers for about 120 days, right? Those sort of a regulation that they can do, for an instance, and also intervening at the bottom of the bottom of the pyramid that they can do.

charindra chandrasena  17:25
Sorry, could you repeat those two?

Dhananath Fernando  17:26
No. First is the government says, okay, if you are an operator, if you are a full distributor, let's say Sinopeco, CEPC, or whoever, it's a it's like the central bank having a tier one, tier two capital requirement for banks. No, like also if you are an operator, you should maintain 10 days or 30 days worth of demand of the national demand. So then, like four operators, 30 days each, covering about let's say 120 days. So then at least there is storage and it's a mandatory thing, and they can run and they have to give the factory. So it's their investment. That's something that we could have done for a strategic reserve earlier. Now, rather than government thinking of doing all that and building the tanks and all that, is very expensive. That's option number one. Option two is basically intervening at the bottom of the pyramid. Like you know, okay, if if there's a the the case that you brought in, the the poorest of the poor, you basically bring the cash transfer and like you know for energy pricing you can do it. The other side, Shari, is I feel now already the poorest of the poor suffering with the rationing as well. Now for a three wheeler guy, the the the how long that he has to stay in the queue. Basically, his opportunity cost to take a higher no. Same with the so basically he is losing out money. He is the poorest of the poor guy. Three guys are not like the richest of the rich. He is the poorest of the poor guys. I mean he is losing out money. Actually the guy who who is kind of wealthy or like who can afford is not losing out because his job is not determined on the time, like you know, he will have a driver. Yeah, he'll have a driver. He will have a driver, right? So he's his productivity is not affected, but the poorest of the poor guy's productivity is affected. But it doesn't mean that you know you love. I'm saying even if you consider the the reason, I think one reason to I mean for concerns, I'm not saying it's a failure. I mean a flop as a project, but the prices could have gone up because then your then this demand curtailment could have also happened. Now what we are trying to do is purely keeping a 60% 70% weightage only on the supply side, without considering the demand side. Because now I think it's still you know it's already at about $90 a barrel, which is you cannot sustain at this price. I mean, it doesn't mean that this is you know increasing prices is a good thing. But I think now already we are paying more than the actual price by staying in long queues and by bringing unproduct. Now, schools are closed. All that is a. Of course, other countries have also taken these measures. This is an unprecedented time. We all agree that. But I think that side could have also been considered without purely considering. Yeah. So the government

charindra chandrasena  20:09
might come back and say that you know, with this kind of crisis, this is not a crisis of our making. Yeah. To quote President got a very baksha. I did not create this crisis. So they might say that it's out of our hands. We are doing the best we can in the short time we have to manoeuvre. Right? If you're talking about cash transfers, that's a complicated process, as we've seen with Samurde and then Aswasuma, all of that, right? You know the the practicalities. But

Speaker 1  20:49
the thing is, the the previous crisis when we had to be in the what you call the QR code, that was actually created by Gotawala, even though he said that because that was bought by this crazy thing called MMT, right? Modern monetary theory basically crashed the currency, and ultimately, what happened is we simply couldn't. We raised a lot of dollars. But

charindra chandrasena  21:05
this time, I mean, the government will legitimately claim that they did not create this crisis. No, no, no, right. That

Speaker 1  21:11
is that is correct. Last time was basically modern. No, but then my

charindra chandrasena  21:14
point is, so they will claim that, and they will say, this is out of our hands. We don't know what will happen tomorrow. Even right, it's completely. We are not being consulted on this, and we are doing the best we can in the short time that we have.

Dhananath Fernando  21:28
No, no, absolutely. I mean, there's no because anyway, when you don't do anything, also there's pressure for government, and that's why I think. But any government has to be cautious about because when it can be a global issue, it can be any issue. But when there are poor queues and all that, the pressure is coming to the government. You really cannot avoid that politics in Sri Lanka. So that is, I mean, common for anybody. But I think that's what I'm. That's my point. Is I think their their tool their usage of the toolkit could have been better. QR could okay if they really want they could have, but it could have with the price escalation, the worry was okay. Who the distributors will make more profits because they already had the stocks before, but already now knowing that the prices will go up, probably they will start also holding no because now you know. I mean, if we know that the global coal prices are going up, they also know no. So now they are also probably slowing down the supplies, right? So that's why I say increase the prices because even if they make a profit of like additional profit, 30% comes to the government as taxes. All these guys fall below the, I mean, under the, I mean, they are above the tax threshold. So those things I think could have been thought through. It doesn't mean this is not government's fault on these all issues. But I think the toolkit could have been better in my view. Okay, if you really want to do the QR code, but you know prioritising that, I am not sure whether it can be solved. Is my logic and one thing very quickly since we have to wrap up quite fast today, the we should also not forget when you are using the tools the long term repercussion because governments generally when they bring the these type of tools like QR, it's very difficult to undo it, roll it back. Look at the Online Safety Act. Look at the Executive Presidency. Look at the PTA. So even the even the QR code which brought by the previous government administration, it took a long time to because you know you have that get the sense of control and also on the data side also we have to be quite cautious because but if you look at what how this Iran the attacks that has happened in Iran that's through the traffic light system so this data without that proper data security measures and all that having mobile phones I'm not saying not to do it again but you know you have to be quite cautious. Again, it doesn't it doesn't mean that you should not use a QR code. But I think the demand side curtailment or like the market side could have also been brought forward rather than just having these other option. Even if you recall, Kanjana's minister Kanjana's name, we've only had like a main monopoly only with Lanka. You see, then only we opened up for the players, and now the price because even now if the Sinopec can have if they have a channel to get the oil shipments from other shipping route, of course the cost will go up. But even if the cost goes up, they cannot really adjust the prices.

Speaker 1  24:13
Exactly. So the thing is, the golden saying is, is no, it's better to pay at a higher price than not have it at all. That's the golden saying. And if you take the QR also the QR also has actually a design flaw, which lot of people sorry why it has a design flaw. Design flaw, right? One thing is the QR. I activated my old old QR. Now normally I saw on popular media it said that basically it was for a vehicle for a car. It's 15 litres. This thing, of course, I drive a diesel vehicle. I don't eat because of that. But when I activated my QR, my QR said that you are eligible for 30 litres of diesel.

charindra chandrasena  24:43
Yeah,

Speaker 1  24:44
right. So and I mean

charindra chandrasena  24:45
I I I know people who went and said the QR doesn't work.

Speaker 1  24:49
Yeah,

charindra chandrasena  24:49
and then you know said said nice things to the shred donors and then got a full tag. Yeah, right. So that is so that is part of that. So so so Charlie, that's

Speaker 1  24:59
a mark.

charindra chandrasena  25:00
Exactly. So before we wind up, I want to get the technical side of it also discuss shortly. Sorry, briefly, and Riyadh start with you. The implementation, the rollout of the QR code. Now it had been done before, and therefore it was not a completely new system.

Speaker 1  25:17
So, so did the government do it

charindra chandrasena  25:19
properly or not?

Speaker 1  25:20
No, I don't think they did because the reason is one thing is it was started. One of the key one of the key people who got involved in that was it's a particular telco, right? Yeah. Right. So they were involved in this. I mean, we can mention. Yeah, mention it was it was dialogue. Dialogue. Yeah. So currently in the ICTA, who helps, who's the presidential adviser, is the former CEO of dialogue. So he knows it inside out. So I think this was a completely rushed job, right? That is number one. Second is it had before. So, but are

charindra chandrasena  25:48
you are you are you apportioning blame on him as well? No, no, no.

Speaker 1  25:52
I I'm not putting a blame on anyone. I think the blame should be. I think they took too long to kind of to decide on this because I think the government was also under threat because one thing is the previous government crash because of four things, right? Petrol, I mean basically fuel, LV gas. Then the other one is electricity, and the other one is fertiliser. Now next crisis is going to be fertiliser because you know state of home brews about about 50% of the what you call particular fertiliser because yeah urea comes from there because urea is the petroleum product, right? It comes from there. So that is number one. Second thing is so I think they were they were rushed on to it because they already had a bit of a gas queue. Then the then the petrol queue started and I think they panicked and they quickly said we are going to do it and they went ahead. I think they should have planned for this maybe a little bit in advance when this whole midly something blew up because obviously when Middle East blows up, always the price goes up. That's a that's a given thing. That is number one. Second thing is the QR code from previous from 2022. It followed your phone number, but if you look at the RMB and vehicle registration, what follows the owner of the vehicle is the NIC and the chassis number, so you can't get a phone number to follow a chassis number because when you sell the vehicle, your phone number doesn't change. But if you sell your vehicle, if you sell your vehicle on the book or on the registration or on the CARO at the RMB, your phone number is not there, but your NIC is there, so if they went with the NIC, automatically when you sell your vehicle, for example, let's say I bought your car, right, and I get it transferred. So then what happens is your NIC number gets transferred to me, right? So then automatically the system can search it and it will automatically auto correct. So and and any of your phone numbers, any of in the system because your phone number is connected inside the TRC and inside government the system already your phone number is attached to your to your NIC. So if they had gone on that this thing, this process would have been much easier. Yeah, I also

charindra chandrasena  27:55
I I agree with you on that in the sense that I feel that so I feel like the government didn't even think of this as a last resort and start planning ahead. Yeah, you have you have to have different scenarios. If A doesn't work, what does yeah we have to prepare for B, and if B doesn't, so like that you have to go up to N. So exactly, so you

Speaker 1  28:16
need to have a contingency part of that. Sri Lankan government, anything that happens, we we don't have a contingency plan. Yeah. No, I'll I'll take a classic example, right? Petroleum we purchase from multiple places. We purchase from from the Middle East. We purchase from Singapore. We purchase from India. India. Yeah. All these places. All these places. Right. Now this is one particular area. Again, I have to come to this because this is like a classic case. You take gas. The gas trend is one single point. So let's say now currently we are very fortunate that it's not coming from the Middle East. So because of that, there is we have we have uninterrupted gas supply. There was a domestic shift in the market with the second player. That's why there was a shortage. But it was not because of the it not not it was since it was the supply issue, right? Prices would have gone up. Now, just imagine if gas is also bought. Gas currently. If gas is bought, let's say from someone from the Middle East, and it's only a single purchase because it's tender, we won't be having any gas. Yep. Okay. So, what's a contingency plan? We don't have contingency plan.

charindra chandrasena  29:18
That's true. That's true. That that that's that's what I feel as well, Dana. Do you agree that we we should have crept for this

Dhananath Fernando  29:24
eventuality? Correct, because it came at midnight, like saying from tomorrow onwards it's full price. I saw minister's statement. He said why we did it on a Sunday because then he want you know minimise the.

charindra chandrasena  29:35
I think Dana, for me that's not the problem. The timing I think is okay, and the fact that they did it on a weekend is also okay. I'm saying it doesn't look like they prepared for this. Yeah, absolutely. It feels like they made the decision. I mean, they they rolled it out on the same day that they made the decision to go. Absolutely. That's poor.

Dhananath Fernando  29:52
Absolutely. Yeah. Because it was

Speaker 1  29:53
because it was an existing platform. They just thought, okay, the platform is closed. If you want to restart it, just press the button. Yeah. And also,

Dhananath Fernando  30:00
I think from the shed owners' point of view, I mean, they were not prepared. If you recall earlier, if you recall how they did, it was they they had to, I mean, feel extra labour to make the queue efficient because there was a guy who scanned the queueer and there's a guy who pumps it because otherwise now the same guy scans the queueer and he pumps and he takes the payment, he gives the balance. He closes the lead, and all it takes time. So, so I think even the shed owners probably may not be prepared because you cannot find people like that. So, so I think as a result, it got a little bit of messy. Yeah. So, but I think could have done better.

charindra chandrasena  30:34
That's the thing. Okay, great. So we've covered two two very important points. We will wind up now. You can give your message.

Dhananath Fernando  30:42
Yes. So consider becoming an advocacy inside. It's 12,000 rupees a year, 1000 rupees a month, and you will get an exclusive analysis of property markets, stock market, and vehicle markets, and many other economic indicators that will help your business. But the objective of Advocata insider programme is to build a policy community who can support reforms and who stand behind reforms, and as we discuss, this content is purely brought to you by because of the support of the Advocata Insiders. So consider joining as an Advocata Insider and support the policy reform and the policy research we do.

charindra chandrasena  31:18
All right, thank you, thank you very much, Riyadh. And hopefully, next time we talk, we will not have to go on this issue because it would have been resolved domestically at least. Hopefully, hopefully. All right. Thanks, guys. See you next week. Thank you.


Transcribed by https://otter.ai