News
JVP: Govt. using brawn, not brains
By Saman Indrajith
The incumbent government is headed by those who use their brawn instead of brains to solve problems, says the JVP.
JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, addressing the media at the party headquarters, in Pelawatte yesterday said that problems confronted by the people and their grievances could not be solved by muscle power, but the rulers needed to put their heads together to work out solutions.
“The ministers try to solve people’s problems using their muscle power. The best example was the recent raids carried out against rice millers. The government vowed to break down the so-called rice mafia and got its men to raid warehouses and stores and showed those raids on TV with drama and suspense. The raids could recover only eight hundred kilos of rice. The amount recovered had no significance because the country’s daily consumption of rice was at six million kilos a day. The show of coercive power has not yielded significant results,” Dissanayake said.
“In purchasing paddy the government introduced a controlled price instead of a certified price. If the government had introduced a certified price, the farmers could have made use of that price as the bottom price and could have sold their harvest to a higher price. As a result of controlled prices, they had to sell their paddy at 50 rupees a kilo. After the farmers have sold their paddy, a new price of 55 rupees a kilo has been introduced. Farmers lost five rupees from each kilo because of that jumbling of prices.
“Tea industry is now in its last legs because the plantations could not get chemical input. Tea smallholders have found that they could not yield their normal produce using organic fertilisers. Similarly the maize cultivations too are on the verge of collapse because maize seeds need chemical inputs. Usually, this country imports 1,500 metric tonnes of maize seed. Owing to uncertainty this year the imports decreased to 600 metric tonnes. Of that only around 150 metric tonnes have been sold for cultivation. This shows the uncertainty in the minds of farmers to cultivate maize. This will have direct repercussions on agriculture-output.
“The government promised to help 200,000 farmers, using organic fertilisers. They promised to give each farmer Rs 210,000 to start with. The government put up advertisements promising that. It revised the number of 200,000 farmers to 100,000. Thereafter it announced that each farmer would be paid Rs 150,000. Thereafter the number of farmers to receive the government incentive was reduced from 100,000 to 10,000 and the amount of funds promised decreased to Rs 110,000. Finally the government revised its numbers again and said that one farmer from each Agrarian Service Centre would be given the incentive. There are around 560 such centres in the country. That was how the number of farmers using organic fertiliser was brought down from 200,000 to 560. The senior ministers should have had their heads examined before launching such projects.”
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
