News
Customs suffered Rs. 6.1 bn loss due to negligence
…Rs 220 mn revenue denied due to fraud
By Saman Indrajith
Two leading palm oil companies had caused a loss of Rs. 6,130 million to the Sri Lanka Customs between 2013 and 2016, the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) was informed, on Thursday.
The COPA was informed that an audit conducted by the Auditor General’s Department had revealed that the loss was due to the negligence on the part of Sri Lanka Customs officials, who failed to clear specific goods, under the Harmonized System (HS Code).
Although Secretary to the Treasury and Ministry of Finance, S.R. Attygalle, had already taken measures to investigate and recover the losses incurred by the state, the COPA directed the Sri Lanka Customs also to take immediate action in that regard, and Director General of Sri Lanka Customs Major General Vijitha Ravipriya agreed to do so.
The Director General of the Sri Lanka Customs and its high-ranking officials, officials of the Ministry of Finance and officials of the Auditor General’s Department were present at the Committee on Public Accounts meeting, chaired by Prof Tissa Vitharana.
It was also revealed that since 2013, the government had lost revenue to the tune of Rs. 220 million because importers had registered imported vehicles as dual-purpose vehicles for special purposes. A minimum of Rs.1,300 million could have been levied on 443 specialized vans, from 2010-2019, according to sources.
Another major irregularity revealed through the audit, pertaining to the importation of 10 vans and 414 lorries under special purpose vehicles, from the year 2010, was taken up for discussion by the Committee.
The Committee was informed that a luxury car, fraudulently registered as a special purpose vehicle, valued at nearly Rs. 9 million, had been released by the Sri Lanka Customs with a levy of only Rs. 1.5 million. Had the vehicles been cleared under the relevant category of vehicles, the levy payable to the Government would have been approximately Rs. 56 million. It was proposed to expedite the maintenance of a computer comparison system as previously recommended by the Committee with the concurrence of the Secretary to the Treasury and Ministry of Finance, following talks the Treasury Secretary Attygalle had with the Sri Lanka Customs and the Department of Motor Traffic.
The members of the Committee agreed to assist in the legislative process, if amendments to any Acts were required, for the aforesaid purpose.
Failure to implement an adequate internal control system, within the Sri Lanka Customs, pertaining to the process of imports and exports, following the release of six containers of perfume, worth Rs. 39,335,091, declared as medication, causing the government a loss of Rs. 40,761,600, and lack of punitive action against errant officials involved in the act of fraud, were revealed at the Committee meeting.
Taking into consideration issues such as the officials of Sri Lanka Customs responsible for generating 32.48% of the revenue for the year 2019 opposing a biometric attendance system, weaknesses of internal governance, issues pertaining to the recruitment of an Attorney and a Chief Internal Auditor for the Legal Department, members of the COPA mutually agreed to summon the Sri Lanka Customs again.
State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara, Shehan Semasinghe, Prasanna Ranaweera and MPs Tissa Attanayake, Ashoka Abeysinghe, Gunapala Ratnasekera, Weerasumana Weerasinghe, Prof. Ranjith Bandara, Niroshan Perera, Gamini Waleboda, S. Shritharan, Prof. Harini Amarasuriya, and Upul Galappaththi, were present at the meeting.
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
