News
Cabinet approved USD 480 mn US Compact ignoring President Sirisena’s objections
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The yahapalana Cabinet approved the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) USD 480 mn Compact in the run-up to 2019 presidential election amidst strong objections by then President Maithrilpala Sirisena, according to highly placed sources..
The Cabinet decision followed the Board of Directors of the MCC endorsing the compact with the government of Sri Lanka on April 25, 2019.
Sources told The Island that there had been five cabinet papers submitted by President Sirisena in that regard, beginning March 10, 2017. Having underscored the requirement to study the USD 480 mn compact in his first Cabinet paper on the matter, President Sirisena submitted four subsequent Cabinet papers on April 1, 2019, July 17, 2019, July 29, 2019 and August 23, 2019, sources said.
Responding to another query, sources said that the Cabinet had given the go ahead disregarding President Sirisena’s call to put off the finalisation of the agreement by six months pending a comprehensive study. Sirisena cited legal complications as the reason for his request.
President Sirisena’s Cabinet papers came to light following an inquiry conducted by a four member committee comprising Dr. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan, Architect Nalaka Jayaweera, former Secretary to the Transport Ministry D S Jayaweera and President’s Counsel Nihal Jayawardhana. Prof. Gunaruwan led the committee which was appointed in the wake of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s victory at the November 2019 presidential election.
The yahapalana government went ahead with the project on the basis of approval from the Attorney General’s department. Asked whether the Committee had obtained the opinion of the Attorney General, in writing in that regard, sources said that several attempts had been made to get the AG’s Department opinion before the finalization of the interim report as well as the final report. The Committee requested the Attorney General’s opinion through the Office of the Prime Minister. Having failed in their attempt, the Committee requested that the Attorney General’s Department be represented at meetings. Subsequently, the Attorney General was represented initially by an officer, relatively junior before they upgraded representation.
The Gunaruwan Committee handed over its interim report in Feb 2020 and the final report on June 23, 2020. Sources said that President Sirisena’s cabinet papers had been submitted along with the final report though they weren’t made public.
The Attorney General’s Department is now in the process of studying the report before making its position on the agreement, according to sources.
President Sirisena, in his April 1, 2019 cabinet paper objected to approving the agreement pending parliamentary endorsement later.
In addition to a letter dated Oct 10, 2018 on Attorney General’s Department letter head now in the public domain, there were several opinions expressed by the same institution in respect of the USD 480 mn Compact. Sources said that as the draft agreement finally approved by the cabinet had been amended subsequent to that letter dated Oct 10, 2018, all available written documents had to be taken into consideration.
Finance Ministry is on record as having said that the Attorney General didn’t find fault with USD 480 mn Compact. It issued the statement at the behest of the then Minister Mangala Samaraweera immediately after Prime Minister Wickremesinghe confirmed the decision to finalise the agreement before Nov 16, 2019 presidential election.
Gunaruwan Committee in its report suggests that perhaps the government should seek the Attorney General’s opinion on USD 480 mn Compact. The suggestion as Attorney General Department did not respond to issues raised by the Gunaruwan Committee.
The Attorney General’s Department recently said that in addition to the Gunaruwan Committee report, several others, including the Land Commissioner, the Survey General and Director General of the External Resources Department were to be called.
Controversy surrounds a claim that Sri Lanka received USD 10 mn in advance on two separate occasions during the previous administration, but both the donor and recipient have denied the transactions. Perhaps, Director General of External Resources could set the record straight, sources said.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government is yet to announce its stand on the agreement.
The US embassy during the previous administration said that the US expected Sri Lanka parliament to decide on the USD 480 mn Compact.
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
