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President stresses need for national plan to ensure food security
President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday said that a national plan should be implemented to ensure food security and nutrition in Sri LankaHe made this observation, addressing the inaugural program for the establishment of the Multi-sector Combined Mechanism for empowering of Rural Economic Revitalization Centers to ensure food security and nutrition.
The programme was held at the Presidential Secretariat. The President pointed out that agriculture can make foreign exchange by enhancing production and competitiveness through the modernization of agriculture.The President emphasized the need to work in an organized and collective manner to solve the food crisis.
“The government has got to face the challenge of provision of food to all since the country is experiencing severe economic distress. The construction sector is experiencing a serious problem and that is causing massive unemployment. Who will look after them? A section of the people can’t afford food and the middle class is disappearing,” he said.
Due to the war in Ukraine, Sri Lanka can’t get the necessary flour supplies, while the floods in Pakistan have destroyed their farming lands. “India has brought the food export to a close while China too has reduced exports. This situation would not come to an end by this December but could last for two years.
Thus, the country would have to face a food crisis. Even the fuel price could rise more in the winter as demand from the west increases. Food should be produced locally. The food security programme was initiated in order to achieve this end,’ he said.The President said that the government has secured USD 200 million for the provision of fertiliser for the Maha season. Another USD 20 million will be enough to provide adequate supplies, he said.
“Discussions are in progress at the Ministerial level to get the seeds for cultivation from countries such as Thailand. There is a shortage of seeds in some areas. When implementing the cultivation programme, we have to be careful. If there is a surplus of harvest the market would crash, so we need to work on storage. There should be a national programme to guarantee food production and the same should be implemented at the Provincial, district and divisional secretariat level with participation of all,” he said.
Officials must work hard to collect the harvest and reduce wastage. Officials will be educated on collection and storage and the necessary assistance should also be provided by the line ministers, he said.
“If the wastage can be reduced by 10 percent I will be happy. A 25 percent reduction in waste can solve most of our problems. There should be a mechanism to store any type of food and the assistance of the private sector must be sought in this endeavour. Provided that all these endeavours are successfull by Maha Season cultivation, the country can come out of the chaotic situation,” he said.
Wickremesinghe said that the Agriculture Modernization Programme must be implemented as soon as possible.
“By the end of 2023, we should get the modernization programme going in full swing. We should earn foreign exchange from agriculture. By 2050, our population will be 25 million. This might be a problem if we don’t modernize agriculture. However, growing populations, not only here but globally, presents many opportunities, in many places, from Saudi Arabia to Indonesia the population will explode. The demand for food will only grow. If we can produce an agricultural surplus, we can sell them and make money.” He said.
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
