Sri Lanka, April 11 -- The President knows that tax cuts have have led to lost revenue, but he considers that an investment, and his new tax regime would be in force for the five years of his tenure. So said the president's secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, according to news reports. This clear indication about fiscal policy came in the same week that Dr. Jayasundera announced that all palm oil imports would be stopped.

Oil palm cultivation will be halted in a phased out program. The tax cuts and the palm oil policy are just two of the progressive policy measures that reversed the right-wing UNP years of pandering to the advice of external elements, and put a stop to the crass and unguarded importation of anything and everything, again pan...