News
Minister Gammanpila says he wants local engineers to build pipeline project
Responds to The Sunday Island reports
Referring to the two separate news stories on the cross-country pipeline project published in The Sunday Island on December 13 and 20, respectively, the media secretary to Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila, says they contain “misleading and inaccurate information”.
Denying that there was a presidential directive to halt the pipeline project as mentioned in the news report, the Minister’s media secretary said in a rejoinder the “President has never discussed about the subjected project with the Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila”.
In fact, it can be stopped only by the Cabinet of Ministers as it was a decision taken by the Cabinet in 2019 based on a cabinet paper submitted by the then Minister of Petroleum Kabir Hashim, it noted.
“After observing colossal amount to be spent on the project, Minister Udaya Gammanpila advised the management of Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL) to explore the possibility of constructing the pipeline by the company having outsourced the components of the project which are beyond their capacity. The management of CPSTL is yet to submit the report, it said.
“The Minister further observed that the previous government had called the bids without preparing even an engineer’s estimate. Hence, he has advised the CPSTL management to prepare an estimate. The minister intends to submit a cabinet paper to revise the decision taken by the previous government after studying the reports to be submitted by the CPSTL management”, it further said.
If the journalist inquired about the project from the Minister or the Secretary of the Ministry instead of trade union leaders, he would have received the correct information. That is because Trade Union leaders are not involved in managerial decisions, it added.
News Editor’s Note: The Minister’s stated position that he was keen to get local engineers to build the pipeline could be appreciated if not for officials down the line who were aware, and moreover concerned, over subtle moves to push ahead with the project based on the original Rs. 15 billion bid by the Chinese company.
Officials were categorical in their assertion that attempts were ongoing to revive the original project at enormous cost when a new feasibility study and related research had shown that the pipeline, if deemed necessary, could be built at a cost of Rs. 5 billion – a fraction of the estimate quoted by the Chinese bidder.
After the initial story was published, officials said the project has been scrapped on a presidential order as it was a criminal waste of public funds. The President’s Office has so far not denied that the President wanted the project, described as a white elephant, halted immediately to stop billions of rupees going down the drain.
A key trade union had also written to the President earlier on moves to revive the project. With eyes and ears working overtime to identify those “leaking information”, it’s sad that a trade unionist who wrote to the President and spoke to the media on this matter of grave public concern has been asked to “show cause”.
Though the Minister didn’t retract the initial news story headlined “Moves to kick-start Rs. 15Bn mega pipeline project comes under fire” (Sunday Island of 13/12/20), he certainly deserve plaudits for placing in the public domain that he wants the job handled locally on “observing the colossal amount to be spent on the project”, after the follow-up news story on presidential intervention to stop it was published.
We appreciate the Minister’s stand that local engineers should be allowed to build the pipeline. This places him on the same wavelength as this was exactly what honest officials who play a straight bat have continued to fight for against many odds.
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
