News
CEB restructuring proposals to be finalised in two weeks
By Ifham Nizam
Proposals pertaining to the restructuring of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) would be finalised within two weeks, a member of the committee handling them told The Island yesterday.Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera, who had a lengthy discussion with the experts, said that the main framework would be presented to the Cabinet by the end of the month.
The committee, which was recently appointed by the Minister for restructuring the CEB, has held talks with development agencies, sector experts, stakeholders and is also due to meet political parties and the power sector regulator, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) next week.Minister Wijesekera also said although there were capable and efficient workers at the CEB, the CPC, and the CPSTL, the majority were inefficient and incompetent.
“A good 500 workforce instead of the 4,200 could do the job efficiently at CPC, CPSTL, and half of the 26,000 workforces at the CEB,” the Minister added.
The committee appointed to restructure the CEB is headed by Dr R H S Samaratunge – Former Secretary, Finance Ministry , and other members are President’s Counsel Nihal Jayawardhane – Former Legal Consultant to the Public Enterprise Reforms Commission, Attorney at Law Harsha Fernando – Former Senior State Counsel at the AGs Department M M C Ferdinando, Former Secretary, Ministry of Power & Energy, Dr. Susantha Perera – Former AGM, CEB, Thilan Wijesinghe – Former Chairman, Board of Investment, Saliya Wickramasuriya – Chairman, Petroleum Development Authority and Director General, Port City Economic Commission, and Chandana Wijesinghe – Director, Ministry of Power and Energy Minister.
The Committee said that authorities had been struggling for some 24 years since 1998 to restructure the CEB and many efforts over the years to push through the much-needed reforms had failed due to stiff resistance from workers and others.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered that the restructuring process of unbundling the CEB by setting up state-owned companies jointly with the private sector management to take over the generation, transmission, distribution and other functions be expedited. Sources said there would be one joint venture each for generation and transmission and three or more for distribution, according to the CEB board paper devised recently for the approval of the board of directors before submitting it to the ministry to prepare the cabinet memorandum.
It has also been proposed to form separate power generation joint venture companies to undertake functions of the CEB relating to hydro-electricity, thermal electricity, coal power and non-renewable power generation, power generation, distribution, and other activities as well as Lanka Electricity Company.
These companies will serve as independent power producers (IPP) and will have to sell the energy they generate to the transmission company, along with other IPPs, the CEB board paper indicated.
A new Electricity Reforms Bill or an amendment to the Electricity Reforms Act No. 28 of 2002 will be drafted and presented in Parliament soon to facilitate the restructuring process.The CEB has incurred a large operating loss of Rs. 47.19 billion in the first four months of 2022 compared to the loss of Rs. 7.15 billion in the same period of 2021.
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
