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Maldives to enhance cooperation with Lanka in boat building
A virtual meeting between the National Boating Association of Maldives (NBAM) and the Representatives of the Sri Lanka Boat and Ship Building Industry was hosted by the Foreign Ministry in collaboration with the Export Development Board (EDB).
An EDB release said that the meeting, held on Monday (11), aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation in the field of Ship and Boat Building industry between Sri Lanka and Maldives.
During the welcome remarks, Additional Secretary of the Foreign Ministry, P. M. Amza, noted this as a landmark event for enhancing collaboration between the two countries to share knowledge and resources which would pave the way for greater physical engagement to conquer the world together.
Additional Secretary Amza further noted that the Export Development Board has identified ship and boatbuilding as a priority area for Sri Lanka whilst emphasising on the strategic location of Sri Lanka. He continued that this first ever engagement would be mutually beneficial to both countries and a priority to further enhancing the economies and strengthen the existing bilateral ties and that it would be good for the sectors if an Agreement between the counterparts could soon be effective.
The Director General of Export Development Board of Sri Lanka (EDB) Chithranjali Dissanayake indicated that the initiative is an important step forward to energise the collaboration towards a more sustainable partnership in the industry and stressed that the focus of EDB is the Boat Show 2021 to be held from October 25-29 virtually and that Sri Lanka has taken steps to enter the nautical tourism as well and that collaboration in this field is certainly vital to meet the partners globally .She also called the Maldives boat Industry to register and participate at the boat show to have more interactions.
President of the National Boating Association of Maldives (NBAM) Ahmed Afrah presented on the boat building industry in connection to the tourism sector of Maldives ensuring economic and social development aspects.
Afrah further noted that the Marine Exhibitions, Maldives boating awards event and the Stay Safe Afloat as some of the important activities carried out by the association in addition to the magazine publications on environment awareness promotions.
Managing Director of Boat Building Technology Institute of Sri Lanka (BBTI) Gamini Herath underlined that the focus of BBTI is to promote Sri Lanka as a Boat Building Hub in the South Asia region. Further that some of the products include boat accessories, life jackets, boat and ship repairing including repairs of super luxury vessels and yachts, and that their services have expanded to markets in Africa, Europe and some Middle Eastern countries as well as to Indonesia and the Maldives.
During the discussions, the Maldivian side pointed out that around 10,000 to 20,000 movements in the Maldives get around the island nation and raised the concern of Sri Lanka having not much prepared to pitch in the Maldivian market. It was also proposed to have joint ventures in the industry to facilitate better investment and business engagements.
The Sri Lankan side noted the absence of the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement which results in the lack of approaching the sector due to tax burden among other obstacles and both sides agreed to work on drafting an Agreement on the industry for closer cooperation and taking the relations to newer heights. The meeting was arranged by the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Male. Senior Officials of the Foreign Ministry, Export Development Board and the representatives of Colombo Dock Yard and executives of the Sri Lanka boat and ship building industry and the executive members of the NBAM participated at the event.
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
