News
Despite Right to Information Act bureaucracy not forthcoming with data
Except Fisheries Ministry, others mum about vital expenditure
There is no data to estimate the progress of 68 percent of the most significant proposals of the 2023 budget, Subhashini Abeysinghe, Research Director at Verité Research has said.Taking part in a television interview, she said they had studied 25 of the key budget proposals.
“We asked the relevant 15 institutions whether these proposals had been implemented and what progress had been made in the first six months of 2023. Only the ministry of fisheries supplied information. The other 14 institutions were very hesitant to provide information although the Right to Information act clearly states that government institutions must publish data with regards to their projects,” she said.
Abeysinghe said that they analysed budget proposals between 2017 and 2021 as well. Data was not available for 45 percent of the most significant proposals of those budgets. This has risen sharply under the Wickremesinghe administration.
She said the government was rightly focusing on the need to increase tax revenue. However, people also needed to know what their tax rupees were spent on, she said, noting that one of the main problems faced by industrialists was that there weren’t many lands available for industry. The 2023 budget proposals have spoken about establishing industrial zones in various provinces.
“In the last 20 years, Sri Lanka has not established a new export processing zone. In 2020, the National Audit Office said there had been no new zones since 2002. The 2023 budget called for the establishment of zones in western province, and in Trincomalee and Hambantota Districts. There has been no data on the progress made,” she said, adding that many other Asian countries have established hundreds of industrial zones in the past few decades.
“Starting a factory isn’t easy. You need a lot of infrastructure. Our competitors such as Bangladesh and Vietnam have established so many industrial zones. This is why we are not getting investments although we give a lot of tax concessions,” she said. Abeysinghe said that budget proposals were indicators of where the government wanted to take the country.
“Even when there was no crisis, state expenditure barely covered daily expenses. Budget proposals are new initiatives and are often financed through debt,” she said.
The government also proposed to establish an international climate change campus in Sri Lanka in the 2023 budget. Rs 100 million has been earmarked for this in the budget.
“Is this enough to establish an international university? There are some serious issues with these numbers,” she said. (RK)
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
