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Auditor General recommends blacklisting of supplier company
Contaminated Chinese organic fertiliser:
A special audit report issued by the Auditor General Department has recommended that the supplier company in Sri Lanka, responsible for the procurement of 96,000MT of organic fertiliser from a Chinese company, be blacklisted.The report has said the letter of credit and the performance bond pertaining to the organic fertiliser imported from a Chinese company in 2021 expired in March 2022 and, therefore, the entire amount paid for fertilisers will amount to a loss to the state coffers.The report has revealed the Cabinet of Ministers decided to sort out the issue between Sri Lanka and the Chinese company through mediation.
“It has been given approval to pay an advance payment of USD 6.9 million for 75 percent of the cost of the fertiliser stock, contained in the ship, which is equal to Rs. 1,382 million. Accordingly, it has been paid by the Treasury Operations Department, on 07 January 2022, and has been reported for accounting to the State Ministry of Agriculture, on 09 May 2022,” the reporthas said.
Two cases filed by state owned fertiliser companies, asking the Commercial High Court to instruct the People’s Bank to suspend payments to the Chinese company, were withdrawn on the condition that fertilisers be resupplied with the desired composition and quality, in keeping with the settlement agreement.
“Nonetheless, the expected standard of stock of fertiliser has not been obtained until now. Although the period of the letter of credit and the performance bond should be extended and kept valid as per the settlement terms, those documents expired on 12 March 2022 and on 24 March 2022 respectively. As a result, the ability to recover the money paid on settlement has been lost if the supplier will not provide standardized fertilizers. Resulting in all of the above, the entire amount paid for fertilizers will become a loss to the government,” the report has said.
The Auditor General Department recommended the government to take action against the officials responsible for this transaction. It has also asked the government to recover the losses due to failure to encashment of the relevant securities before their expiry or extend the tenure of the securities and release of funds without any security in case of advance payment.
The Department also said legal action should be taken against the supplier and obtain compensation for attempting to entry a stock of unsterilized fertilizer in to country containing the destructive bacteria i.e. Erwinia and Bacillus, which causes diseases called mild rot and blight for economically valuable crops in Sri Lanka. Such shipments cannot be imported into Sri Lanka in accordance with the terms of the agreement and the Plant Protection Act No. 35 of 1999, and there is no recommended agrochemical for control, the report said.
“And also for the making a loss by not providing fertilizer required for paddy cultivation in the 2020/2021 season as per the agreement, obtaining an amount of Sri Lanka Rupees 1,382,720,494 equivalent to 6.9 million US dollars for an unsupplied fertilizer stock and non-compliance to the motion, and take actions to blacklist the relevant supplier company in Sri Lanka which has not performed in accordance with the laws and agreements of Sri Lanka,” the report 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
