News
Cabinet approval given to VFS-Global – Minister Alles
By Saman Indrajith
Opposition MPs in Parliament called on Public Security Minister Tiran Alles to focus on rectifying the mess created by visa facilitating agency VFS-led consortium instead of trying to frame a youth who criticised it at the BIA.
Minister Alles said the awarding of the contract to VFS had been approved by the Cabinet, and Parliament had approved revised visa fees.
JVP/NPP MP Vijitha Herath said that the government’s move to institute legal action against the youth who had expressed his displeasure would lead to public outrage. “Everybody knows now that the youth in question intervened against a wrong move by the government. Because of his intervention, the government decided to suspend the foreign agency that issued visa to foreigners and brought down the fee from 100 dollars to 50 dollars. His action led to save 50 dollars taken from the foreigners being shifted out of the country. He used his freedom of expression to inform the entire nation of the wrongdoing. He is the one who opened the
eyes of the Cabinet and rectified the error. If the government takes legal action against him,not only the members of the legal fraternity, the entire nation will stand by him, all progressive forces will support him. The government would further worsen the mess,” Herath said.
Chief Opposition Whip Kandy District SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella said that Minister Alles had misled the House when talking about VFS.
Minister Alles said that he did not speak of VFS in Parliament but only about increasing visa fees. “The VFS proposal was submitted to the Cabinet and then it was referred to a Cabinet subcommittee which studied that report for three months. Thereafter it was returned to the Cabinet and was given approval. I did not speak of VFS in Parliament,” the Minister said.
Kiriella called on the Secretary General of Parliament to bring Hansard to the chamber to ascertain the veracity of the standpoint taken by the Minister.
Alles said the agreement had been made after a proposal was made by the company. The Cabinet has given its approval for the deal.
Kiriella reading out from Hansard proved his point that Alles on a previous day had spoken about VFS in Parliament. “How could this be done on a Cabinet approval, financial control powers are with Parliament,” he queried.
SJB Colombo District MP S.M. Marikkar said that the deal between the government with IVS-GBS-VFS Global was worth 840 million dollars over its 12-year lifetime.
The firm was charging 18.5 dollars per visa and a 5 to 7 dollar ‘convenience fee’ on top of the government visa fee from tourists trying to enter Sri Lanka.
Marikkar said the VFS Global was placed to earn cash flows of up to 100 million dollars a year based on tourist promotion targets of the industry, over the contract period.
The firm would earn 35 million dollars in 2024, 43 million dollars in 2025, 49 million dollars, 56 million dollars in 2026, 62 in 2028, 68 in 2029, 74 in 2030, Marikkar said reading out from a document.
The group would earn 80 million dollars in 2031, 86 million in 2032, 92 million in 2033, 96 million in 2034 and 100 million in 2035 million. VFS Global group stood to earn 840 million dollars over the period of the contract which was renewable every two years. The deal was awarded without a competitive procurement process, Marikkar said.
NFF leader MP Wimal Weerawansa said that Minister Alles had told the media that the youth’s conduct at BIA which is an international airport could not be approved. We know that there are many other happenings at the BIA that we do not see in other international airports. I call on the Minister not to take action against this youth.
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
