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Chief Govt. whip alleges bid to derail booster dose
It was unfortunate that the Opposition, which carried out a disinformation drive against the vaccination programme during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, was now trying to discourage the public from receiving booster shots, Chief Government Whip and Highways Minister Johnston Fernando has said.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the opening of a new three-storeyed building complex for the Kurunegala Pradeshiya Sabaha, the Minister said that the Opposition parties wanted to see bodies pile up so that they could gain some political mileage, but the government’s successful vaccination drive had disappointed them.
“Some members of the public fall for the Opposition’s lies, which are however short-lived. Both Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake have spoken against vaccination. They said that we had allowed the people to be used as guinea pigs. However, both Premadasa and Dissanayake too got jabbed later on. Now, they have got their men and social media activists to spread doubts and fears about the booster dose. It is such an unfortunate situation that we have got opposition members who speak against science to mislead people.
“The pandemic is a huge challenge, but President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has faced it successfully. He gave the leadership to the government to work hard to counter the threat. When they said medical oxygen was in short supply, we increased supplies. Then the opposition MPs said that people would die on hospital floors without beds, we made 20,000 new beds in a couple of weeks’ time. Sri Lanka has been recognised today as the third best country in the world where the vaccination programmes against COVID-19 are concerned.
“I spoke to regional health authorities yesterday and told them that the process of administering the booster dose should be completed in the Kurunegala District by the end of February.
“We are not a government that goes around boasting about what we did, because we know that time spent on boasting could be used to do some more work. We have several economic challenges. We’ll address them too. We did not do politics during the past several months, but worked to help people get out of the pandemic dangers. In the next few months to come people will see the results of what we did and also realise that the opposition members lied to them. Our target is not elections because we know that when we complete our work, there is no need for a separate polls campaign to win again. People in this country are intelligent and can understand the political bankruptcy of the opposition parties and would never cast their votes for such a bankrupt lot.”
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
