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Government investigations won’t pin responsibility for gas explosions: JVP
by Sirimantha Ratnasekara
The JVP last week asked people not to have hopes that the government investigations would identify those responsible for the unexplained gas explosions/fires in various parts of the country during the past few days.
“This is a government that could not bring to the book those responsible for the Easter Sunday carnage. Therefore, people should not have high hopes that the ongoing investigations would find those responsible for the incidents of explosions owing to gas leaks,” JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on Thursday addressing a press conference at party headquarters in Pelawatte.
He said that the president has appointed a committee which will submit a report within two weeks.
“Don’t be surprised or upset if the committee does not find anyone responsible for the gas explosions. It is certain that no politician or official will be found responsible for what has happened,” Dissaanayake said.
“Today we have a government which has no sense of what is happening around us and the dangers this country will face in the coming months. The government needs over six billion US Dollars within the next three months for the import of essentials, honoring letters of credits (LCs), and the payment of debt installments, but has no proper plan to attract required foreign exchange to meet these obligations. There is a serious decrease of funds flowing into the country, including the decline of inflows from migrant workers in 2021 compared to 2020.
“In June 2020, migrant workers remitted 573 million US Dollars. In June 2021, it declined 16% to USD 475 million. Migrant worker remittances were down 50% in September 2021 from a year earlier. The government has no proper plan to bring migrant worker earnings back to Sri Lanka. The Cabinet of Ministers is not finding solutions for the economic crisis that we are in.
“President Gotabaya Rajapaksa does not even seem to know what the crisis is all about. His decisions suggest that he is unaware of the depth of the crisis as his decisions are not those that a President should take during a crisis; his decisions worsened the crisis.
“Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is focused on other things. Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa has not divulged proper details about this crisis to Parliament,” Dissanayake said.
The JVP leader said that there were clear indicators of the worsening economic crisis all around us.
“Over 1,000 containers with essential goods are held-up at the Colombo Port. Even though the goods are imported, banks are not releasing dollars to clear them. The Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery has been closed as there are no dollars to import crude oil. There are critical shortages and prices are increasing daily,” he 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
