News
Enactment of key finance bills: Govt. not following due process – Opposition
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Opposition MP Prof. Charitha Herath yesterday took exception to the inclusion of the controversial Economic Transformation Bill (ETB) and the Public Financial Management (PFM) Bill in the first week’s agenda of Parliament in June, in spite of the Bills not being subjected to due process yet.
Parliament meets on June 4, 5 and 6. Declaring that the ETB and PFM had been included in the June 5 and 6 agenda, respectively, the dissident SLPP MP pointed out the irregularity in doing so in the absence of the Supreme Court determination on the two Bills.
Chief Government Whip Minister Prasanna Ranatunga on May 22 presented the two Bills to the House.
Responding to The Island queries, Prof. Herath said that those opposed to the Bills could challenge them in the Supreme Court within two weeks. The first entrant to Parliament Herath asked as to why Parliament included them in its agenda before the SC decided on their constitutionality.
The JVP-led NPP would move the SC against the ETB, according to top spokesman Vijitha Herath, MP.
Herath, a former Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), asked what would happen if the Supreme Court ruled that many sections of the ETB were flawed and remedial measures required.
MP Herath said that the two Bills hadn’t been discussed at the Committee on Public Finance headed by Dr. Harsha de Silva. Alleging that the government was in an indecent hurry to enact these controversial laws, lawmaker Herath said that the relevant Sectoral Oversight Committee or committees were yet to examine them.
Prof. G. L. Peiris, MP, told The Island that legislation, with such far reaching repercussions, should not be enacted by a government without a popular mandate within its last 100 days. The former External Affairs Minister and one-time SLPP heavyweight said: “ETB purports to bind future Parliaments and to thrust upon them the economic policy of President Wickremesinghe which is at variance with the publicly expressed convictions of the SLPP which commands a majority in the current Parliament.”
Recently Prof. Peiris switched his allegiance to the SJB. Claiming that President Wickremesinghe was blatantly exploiting the situation to push ahead with his much-disputed agenda, MP Peiris said: “Local entrepreneurship which needs to be nurtured and strengthened, is placed at a distinct disadvantage by the Bill. An unelected President, by virtue of his power of nomination to controlling mechanisms, is able to concentrate more and more authority in his hands, at the expense of broad-based institutions. The degree of detail set out smacks of intolerable arrogance: it purports to deprive succeeding administrations of legitimate decision-making capability. Changes of this magnitude are compatible with the tenets of representative democracy only in the aftermath of fresh national elections, due very shortly.”
Asked about planned legal action, Prof. Peiris said that proposed legislation would certainly be challenged vigorously by various parties. The ex-Minister said that the SC determination was not a solution in itself. The Court could only determine whether particular provisions were inconsistent with the Constitution, and therefore required a special majority or a referendum for enactment. The Court’s constitutional function would not enable it to examine broader aspects from a policy perspective, he added.
The Island sought State Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe’s views on the proposed laws against the backdrop of SLPP Chairman Mahinda Rajapaksa’s recent declaration in respect of government economic strategy. The Anuradhapura district lawmaker said that since July 2022, President Wickremesinghe and the SLPP had worked according to a certain framework. Therefore, there was no likelihood of the SLPP withholding support for these laws.
The former President while calling the present government an interim arrangement formed to run the country for the remainder of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s term, declared: “Even the pro-privatization lobby should realize that the hasty divestiture of state owned assets at a time like this will not produce the best outcome for the country. Furthermore, the next Presidential election is only a few months away. Hence, as a measure to ease the widespread discontent over the government’s divestiture drive, I wish to propose that all moves to sell off state owned assets or enterprises be postponed until a new government is formed after the next Presidential election. The new government will then be able to deal with state-owned properties and enterprises in accordance with the mandate they obtain at the election.”
State Minister Semasinghe said that the Opposition shouldn’t follow destructive strategies meant to reverse the economic revival. The MP stressed that in addition to the much-discussed ETB and PFM, there was another crucial Bill aimed at addressing the challenges the country faced. “We’ll take the Public Debt Management Bill on June 4,” lawmaker Semasinghe said, claiming that the three Bills were intended to provide much needed stability at all levels.
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
