News
Controversial Social Security Contribution Bill put off due to resistance from Opposition
By Saman Indrajith
The government yesterday decided to put off the Social Security Contribution Bill when the JVP and the SJB, in Parliament opposed it vehemently.
The Social Security Contribution Levy Bill had been listed for the second reading debate, and Parliament sources said that the party leaders had agreed to pass the Bill with several other regulations, without debate to save time for another debate, listed for the day, on current nutritional problems of children and women.
When the Leader of the House and Education Minister got up to present the Bill for the approval of the House, JVP leader, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, said that the Bill would place an additional tax burden on people. “The government keeps on levying taxes on people. The government’s excuse is that it does not have money. There is a financial crisis. Then it should first take action against former Central Bank Governor and ex-Finance Minister Basil Rajapaks for bankrupting the country. What action are you going to take against them?” Dissanayake queried.
The JVP leader said that the Bill envisaged introducing a social security tax. “The government keeps shifting the burden on to people. It increased the VAT from 8 percent to 12 percent and then most recently to 15 percent. Prices of all essential commodities including medicines, have gone up. There is a new tax called social security tax of 2.5 percent on the turnover. This turnover tax is on importation, production, selling and services. This tax is applicable to all fields of the economy. One who owns an industry, covering all these aspects, will have to pay 2.5 percent in importing, another 2.5 percent for 85 percent of the production and this tax will be levied again in distribution and selling. Thus, this tax is like a compound tax. With 15 percent VAT, this new addition will result in an increase of tax cost to around 20 percent. People are in great difficulty owing to the existing taxes. This is very unfair and unjust. No action has been taken against those who caused this crisis.”
“We are against this Bill,” Dissanayake said.
SJB MP and Chairman of the Public Finance Committee Dr. Harsha de Silva also opposed the the Bill.
He said it was not proper to enact a Bill without presenting a review of it.
He said that the Public Finance Committee did not approve any Bill without reviewing it. “However, we had to approve the Social Security Contribution Bill as we were informed that it was urgent.”
MP de Silva said that the Bill required some amendments and it could not be approved without perusal.
He said that the amendments to the Bill had been proposed without the approval of the committee.
“In other countries, they have either VAT or Turnover tax. You cannot have both. An accounting firm predicted that this 2.5 percent could go up to seven percent in the process. I agree with MP Dissanayake. This is an unfair tax.”
Dr. De Silva said the property sales business had been taken out of the list of enterprises to be taxed by the social security tax. “That is to help the rich. You are taxing the poor while giving exemptions to the rich. This is an unjust act,” he said.
Responding to the opposition MPs, Leader of the House Minister Susil Premajayantha proposed the postponement of the vote on the Social Security Contribution Bill to Thursday.
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
