News
Finance Committee: Monetary Board insulted Parliament; SBJ calls for action against ‘culprits’
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Amidst A deepening financial crisis that prompted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to summon an All Party Conference (APC) on Wednesday (23) to discuss ways and means of addressing the issues at hand, the Monetary Board has skipped a meeting called by the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) yesterday (24) to inquire into current developments.
The CoPF alleged that the meeting previously scheduled to be held last Monday (21) had been re-fixed for Thursday (24) on a request made by the Central Bank.
However, at the last moment, the Central Bank had informed the CoPF that the entire Monetary Board couldn’t attend the meeting as board member S. R. Attygalle, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance was to hold discussions with the World Bank.
The Monetary Board consists of Governor of the Central Bank Ajith Nivard Cabraal (ex-officio), Treasury Secretary S.R. Attygalle (ex-officio) , President’s Counsel Sanjeeva Jayawardena, Dr. Rani Jayamaha and Samantha Kumarasinghe.
CoPF Chairman Anura Priyadarshana Yapa , MP, has said that this should be brought to the notice of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. The Chairman has said so after several members of the watchdog committee alleged the Monetary Board insulted Parliament. The members present on the occasion included State Ministers, Indika Anuruddha and Kanchana Wijesekera and MPs, Vijitha Herath, Prof. Ranjith Bandara, Nalin Fernando, Dr. Harsha de Silva and Mujibur Rahuman.
The CoPF declared that the Monetary Board would be called again on April 01.
Recently, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank Dr. W.A. Wijewardena in a brief interview with The Island asserted that the country wouldn’t have in the current predicament if the Central Bank floated the Rupee in April 2021 during the tenure of Prof W.D. Lakshman as the Governor of the Central Bank.
Dr. Harsha de Silva questioned the circumstances the Monetary Board skipped yesterday’s meet summoned by the CoPF. Lawmaker de Silva said that the Parliament was informed by fax at 10.45 am informing their inability to come. The former UNP State Minister said that as the financial crisis could only be dealt in Parliament there was no purpose in having conferences. The lawmaker was referring to the APC held at the Janadhipathi Mandiraya on Wednesday. Declaring that the President has no power to formulate law, MP de Silva said that the members of the Monetary Board disrespected Parliament. They do not have a right to do so. If they do not heed summons from Parliament what is the purpose in having a Parliament at all, the SJB MP said.
The SJB boycotted Wednesday’s APC chaired by President Rajapaksa. Declaring that the Parliament couldn’t allow this to happen, MP de Silva pointed out that Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, too, didn’t attend the Parliament. The FM missed parliament for three months, the MP said. A State Bank has defaulted today. The government should inquire into this. The MP lambasted that government policy that has endangered the entire banking system. The MP lambasted the Governor and top officials for the rapidly crisis. The former State Minister dismissed APC talks asserting that there was no purpose in the whole exercising.
The Monetary Board couldn’t be allowed to act contrary to the Constitution.
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
