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Crisis: Sabry faults ‘handful of persons’ but won’t accept charge of economic crimes
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Foreign Minister Ali Sabry has reiterated that a handful of persons who advised President Gotabaya Rajapaksa caused the unprecedented economic meltdown.
Sabry has alleged that politicians, officials, public sector as well as the trade unions are responsible for the crisis.
The Minister said so in response to ‘Hiru’ anchor Chamuditha Samarawickrema seeking an explanation regarding the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) taking up the contentious issue of economic crimes in Sri Lanka.
In a wide-ranging interview on ‘Salakuna’ on Monday (10), Sabry repeated the accusations that he had made in June in his capacity as the Finance Minister following talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington.
However, Minister Sabry declined to call those responsible ‘economic assassins’ or categorise their actions ‘economic crimes.’ But he acknowledged that as a member of the Cabinet-of-Ministers he had also been named a respondent in Court cases in this regard.
Sabry stressed that he didn’t believe that those who had been blamed for the crisis did so purposely though the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa acted recklessly, on advice received, without taking sufficient safeguards.
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) is among the parties to move the apex court over the unprecedented financial meltdown.
The panel of interviewers, comprising Chamuditha Samarawickrema, Madushan de Silva and Kalindu Vithanage, repeatedly pointed out that the denial of basic requirements could be considered violation of human rights.
When the panel pointed out that Minister Sabry essentially agreed with the views expressed by the international community, and other interested parties, as regards economic crimes, the lawmaker said that in spite of the deteriorating crisis, still those responsible continued to make promises, at the expense of economic stability. Minister Sabry cited the recent declaration of free mid-day meal as a case in point. Such promises were made without making required financial provisions, the Minister added.
Minister Sabry said that he wouldn’t under any circumstances,defend the indefensible and alleged that the country wouldn’t have been in this mess if not for arrogant conduct of the decision-makers.
Sabry compared how Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy in his capacity as the Governor of the Central Bank (June 2016-Dec. 2019) had successfully handled an impending crisis due to the response of those at the helm following the last presidential election, in Nov. 2019 before it developed into a catastrophe.
The Minister said that as the former Finance Minister he took the responsibility for the declaration of default status by Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe in the second week of April this year. Emphasising that there was absolutely no uncertainty regarding that decision taken, Minister Sabry said that in addition to the Finance Secretary, Mahinda Siriwardana, and Dr. Weerasinghe, the government had consulted a three-member committee of economic and fiscal experts of the Presidential Advisory Group, Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy, Prof. Shanta Devarajan and Dr. Shamini Cooray.
Minister Sabry cited the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) as one of the enterprises that had contributed to the deterioration of the national economy. He explained how the CEB engineers brazenly thwarted attempts to enhance renewable energy capacity on various pretexts. Calling them a Mafia organization, Minister Sabry pointed out how those who had blocked renewable energy projects, approved emergency power purchases, at exorbitant rates. Chamuditha Samarawickrema pointed out that there was no point in making such allegations. The Hiru team stressed the responsibility on the part of the government to address the issue at hand.
Commenting on the latest defeat, suffered by Sri Lanka at the UNHRC, Minister Sabry said that the country was paying a very heavy price for failing to fulfill the promises made by successive governments before the international community.
Declaring that Sri Lanka couldn’t accept hybrid courts to examine accountability issues, Minister Sabry decried the co-sponsorship of the Geneva resolution, in Oct 2015, during the Yahapalana administration. Responding to criticism that only seven countries voted, objecting the resolution moved against Sri Lanka, Minister Sabry said that of the 20 countries that voted against Sri Lanka, many represented the EU. Minister Sabry said that the proponents of the resolution believed they could secure more than 24 votes though ended up with 20.
Sabry reiterated their commitment to do away with the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) perhaps before end of this year to pave the way for a new law, in line with international standards.
Minister Sabry emphasised that the contentious issues of reconciliation and accountability should be addressed with appropriate mechanisms. Success of such projects depend largely on workable mechanisms, not individuals.
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
