News
Blamed for current crisis, Monetary Board before House Committee today
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, MP, says they’ll inquire into the possibility of bringing former Governor of the Central Bank Ajith Nivard Cabraal before the Watchdog Committee inquiring into the conduct of the Monetary Board pertaining to the current crisis.
Governor, CBSL chairs the five-member Monetary Board.
Cabraal, who succeeded Prof. W.A. Lakshman as Governor, CBSL, in Sept last year, announced his resignation on Monday (04) with the resignation of virtually the entire Cabinet as the economic crisis triggered political mayhem with unprecedented protests that began with one outside President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence at Mirihana.
SLPP lawmaker Yapa said that the Monetary Board members were scheduled to appear before the CoPF today (06).
Earlier, the Monetary Board was scheduled to appear before the CoPF on March 21. It was later rescheduled for March 24 but at the last moment, the CBSL informed the CoPF that the entire Monetary Board couldn’t attend the meeting as board member S. R. Attygalle, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, was to hold discussions with the World Bank on that day.
Subsequently, the CoPF tried to arrange the meeting scheduled for April 01.
The Monetary Board consists of the Governor of the Central Bank (ex-officio), Treasury Secretary S.R. Attygalle (ex-officio), President’s Counsel Sanjeeva Jayawardena, Dr. Rani Jayamaha and Samantha Kumarasinghe.
Recently, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank Dr. W.A. Wijewardena in a brief interview with The Island asserted that the country wouldn’t have landed in the current predicament if the Central Bank floated the Rupee in April 2021 during the tenure of Prof W.D. Lakshman as the Governor of the Central Bank.
Dr. Wijewardena said that the current crisis should be studied against the backdrop of the CBSL delaying the depreciation of the rupee till early March this year.
CoPF member Dr. Harsha de Silva said that Cabraal, who had served as the State Finance Minister before receiving the appointment as Governor, CBSL, quit the job within six months. Lawmaker de Silva asked what had happened to the former Governor’s six-month road map (Oct 2021-March 2022) meant to pave the way for economic recovery.
Alleging that the Monetary Board was responsible for the current predicament of the country, the former UNP State Minister said that the Monetary Board should be removed. The Colombo District lawmaker emphasised that the Monetary Board couldn’t absolve itself of the responsibility as all decisions taken by the outfit proved wrong.
MP de Silva said that the Monetary Board couldn’t be silent on the government’s failure to initiate talks with the IMF early last year when the SJB led the calls for IMF’s intervention. The MP emphasised that the government repeatedly rejected the SJB’s calls for IMF intervention. Dr. P. B. Jayasundera, former Secretary to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, too, steadfastly opposed IMF’s intervention.
Former Senior Deputy Governor of the Central Bank Nandalal Weerasinghe, now domiciled in Australia, has been approached by the government to take over the position of Central Bank Governor.
Former Governor of the CBSL, Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy would help the government in an advisory capacity. Sources said so when asked whether Dr. Coomaraswamy would be accommodated in some relevant capacity to assist the government.
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
