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Fin Min, delegation meet with top US State Dept, IMF officials
Minister of Finance Ali Sabry and his delegation held crucial meetings with the top officials of the U.S. Department of State and USAID as well as top officials of the International Monetary Fund including its Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in Washington, DC Wednesday.
A meeting was convened for high level engagement with the Minister of Finance M.U.M. Ali Sabry P.C. and the U.S. Department of State experts Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary – Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs and John McDaniel, Chief of the Economic Unit of the U.S. Department of State along with the experts of USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Anjali Kaur, and Sanjay R. Iyer, the International Cooperation Specialist at the residence of the Ambassador of Sri Lanka for U.S. Mahinda Samarasinghe.
The successful discussion had focused on a variety of options and solutions for strategic economic development for short term and midterm challenges.
Finance Minister Sabry and the Governor of Central Bank of Sri Lanka Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe discussed overcoming the ongoing economic challenges in Sri Lanka with the U.S. officials.
The Finance Minister has received the assurance of the valuable support from the esteemed institutions to strengthen the economy of Sri Lanka, the Finance Ministry said.
Assistant Secretary Lu said U.S. welcomes Sri Lanka and IMF working towards a sustainable solution to relieve the economic hardships for its people.
The Assistant Secretary has said the United States is committed to supporting Sri Lanka’s efforts to stabilize its economy and set the country on a path toward a sustainable and prosperous future for all Sri Lankans.
The Minister of Finance Ali Sabry and Governor of Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe also held a meeting with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva at the IMF on the 20th of April 2022.
The key highlights of the discussion had premised upon the Policy actions required to be taken to address the economic challenges of Sri Lanka.
The Managing Director has assured her sincere commitment to work together towards mapping a pathway to assist the economic recovery for Sri Lanka.
“Thank you Minister Ali Sabry and Governor Weerasinghe for being with us in person at the Spring IMF Meetings during these difficult times. We discussed policy actions to address economic challenges and undertook to work together towards mapping a pathway to Sri Lanka’s recovery,” Georgieva tweeted after the meeting.
Minister Sabry and Central Bank Governor Dr. Weerasinghe also met with the IMF First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath on Wednesday at the IMF headquarters in Washington, DC.
The discussion between the distinguished delegates focused on the challenges faced by Sri Lanka and the mechanisms and measures required to address the economic challenges expeditiously, the Finance Ministry said.
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
