News
GL: Prez delivered what was prepared by IMF
Opposition mulls budget strategy
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Former Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, MP, said on Monday (14) that those in the Opposition would try to reach a consensus on their stand on the 2023 budget.
The former top law academic explained ongoing efforts to build a consensus among Opposition parties and groups as the challenges couldn’t be surmounted through isolated actions.
Prof. Peiris was responding to media queries at the Nawala Office of Nidahasa Jathika Sabhawa (NJS), one of the SLPP rebel groups in parliament. The NJS comprises 13 lawmakers.
Addressing the media at Nawala, a few hours before President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Finance Minister delivered the budget speech, Prof. Peiris alleged that the budget prepared by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was meant to implement the staff-level agreement the Sri Lankan government reached with Washington-based institute on Sept. 01, 2022.
They agreed on a $2.9-billion package that will support Sri Lanka with a 48-month arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF).
Prof. Peiris flayed the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government for denying parliament an opportunity to discuss its agreement with the IMF before UNP leader Wickremesinghe presented the budget. The MP said that in terms of Article 148 of the Constitution, the parliament couldn’t be deprived of its rights as regards public finance. Therefore, the staff-level agreement with the IMF, the very basis for budget 2023 should have been tabled in parliament, the former minister said.
Asked whether the NJS would vote in favour of the budget, Prof. Peiris, while referring to ongoing efforts on the part of the joint Opposition to take a stand, pointed out that in case the government lost the vote on the second reading of the budget on Nov 22, President Wickremesinghe would have to remove the Premier and other members of the cabinet. However, if the government lost the final vote on Dec 08, the parliament would have to be dissolved, Prof. Peiris said.
Parliament elected Wickremesinghe as the President on July 20, 2022 to complete the remainder of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s five-year term won at the last presidential election in Nov 2019. In the parliamentary vote to elect a new President Wickremesinghe received 134 votes. His nearest rival Dullas Alahapperuma obtained 82 votes.
Referring SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva’s declaration in parliament on Nov. 09, that no less a person than President Wickremesinghe had handed over copies of the confidential Sri Lanka-IMF staff level agreement to some outsiders, Prof. Peiris warned that a section of the business community could exploit sensitive information to their advantage. Prof. Peiris alleged that they could cause quite heavy losses to the Treasury at a time the government further burdened the hapless public.
Declaring that new taxes were intolerable and the public were not in a position to pay, Prof. Peiris explained how the new tax regime would destroy local industries. Instead of curbing waste, corruption, irregularities and mismanagement that had contributed to the current economic crisis, the government slapped more taxes. The former Minister explained how the newly introduced Social Security Contribution levy burdened those struggling to make ends meet.
The parliament has declared that the new bill intended to collect as much as Rs 140 bn annually.
Prof. Peiris questioned the reluctance on the part of the government to initiate tangible measures to recover stolen money. The government had not only failed to go after big time crooks, it appeared to have reached an understanding with them to facilitate corruption, Prof. Peiris said. The MP citing the latest controversy over the procurement of coal for Lakvijaya coal-fired power plant at Norochcholai that underscored the pathetic state of affairs, said regardless of the government declaring itself bankrupt, corruption was continuing unabated.
The former Foreign Minister also questioned the rationale in allocating so much for defence well over a decade after the conclusion of the war. The MP said that the defence sector couldn’t be granted funds at the expense of other sectors that were in a bad shape.
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
