News
Govt. makes U-turn on hoarders’ Mafia
Question mark over Office of CGES, emergency regulations
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Following the abolition of price control on rice and paddy, the government is expected to review its controversial decision to establish the Office of Commissioner General of Essential Services (CGES) to ensure an uninterrupted supply of paddy, rice, sugar and other essential goods.
Authoritative sources said that a decision taken by Cabinet of ministers on Monday (27) to rescind the relevant gazette underlined the urgent need to examine the government’s overall response to shortage of essential items.
Responding to The Island queries, sources explained that the government backed the appointment of a serving officer, Maj. Gen. M.D.S.P. Niwunhella as the CGES with the declaration of emergency regulations. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa made the declaration effective Aug, 31, 2021 in terms of the Section 2 of the Public Security Ordinance as per the Section 5 that dealt with essential food supply. Maj. Gen. Niwunhella of the Gajaba Regiment is the incumbent head of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s security contingent.
Sources emphasised that the abolition of price controls on wholesale and retail sale of rice as well as purchase of paddy should be examined against the backdrop of declaration of emergency regulations and specific measures such as the appointment of CGES to tackle hoarding, price manipulation and a range of other irregularities.
In the absence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who is away in the US, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has chaired Monday’s meeting. The Island learns that proper consultations hadn’t taken place before the government made a U turn on traders Mafia.
Sources said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa moved to reign in the group of powerful millers in the wake of the collapse of agreement between the government and the businessmen. Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardane and Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage on July 21, 2021 reached agreement with millers for the latter to buy paddy at what they called government guaranteed price.
In spite of Ministers Gunawardane and Aluthgamage vowing to ensure uninterrupted supply of rice, the millers reneged on their promise. Sources pointed out that the decision to rescind the relevant gazette on price controls, the announcement of the release of funds from the Central Bank to release food containers held up at the Colombo port, immediately import 100,000 tonnes of rice to maintain a buffer stock, delay decision on the revision of milk food, flour and cement, and millers declaring a new price structure (retail and wholesale as well as paddy purchasing price from farmers) happened within 48 hours.
The Central Bank on yesterday (29) announced the release of USD 50 mn to two state banks to make it possible for importers to clear their goods from the Colombo harbour.
On the instructions of the President, the CGES Maj. Gen. Niwunhella and Chairman of Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) retired Maj. Gen. Shantha Dissanayake, led raids on Nipuna, Lathpadura, Araliya, Hiru, New Rathna and Sooriya in the Polonnaruwa District.
Former President Maithripala Sirisena’s brother Dudley Sirisena and State Minister Siripala Gamlath are among those accused of hoarding rice.
Sources said that just a day after the cancellation of the relevant gazette, a group of millers led by Dudley Sirisena declared retail price for nadu Rs 115, samba Rs 140 and keeri samba Rs 165,000. The group also declared that paddy would be bought at nadu Rs 62.50 a kilo, samba Rs 70 and keeri samba Rs 80.
The declaration of emergency regulations in the run-up to the 48th session of the Geneva-based Human Rights Council caused quite a controversy. The entire Opposition in the parliament, two major civil society groups –Sri Lanka Collective for Consensus (SLCC) and Civil Society Platform (CSP) and a section of the international community and the Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet condemned the declaration of emergency though the government repeatedly stressed that particular measure was taken for the benefit of the fleeced consumer.
Sources said that with the abolition of the gazette meant to regulate the rice market, the whole strategy initiated by the government in late August was in tatters.
Other sources said the government had conveniently side-stepped the simmering issue pertaining to the issuance of a gazette on Oct 13, 2020 to reduce the import duty on a kilo of rice to 25 cents from Rs 50. In spite of the Committee on Public Finance chaired by SLPP lawmaker Anura Priyadarshana Yapa declaring that the duty reduction didn’t bring any relief at all to the consumer, the reduced duty remained, sources said.
Having accused major sugar importers of hoarding, the Presidential Secretariat in a statement issued on Sept 1 identified the hoarders as Pyramid Wilmar(6,200 mt),Global trading company (4,900 mt),Wilson Trading Company (14 mt) and R.G. Stores (800 mt). The announcement was made after the government seized 29,000 mt from five warehouses.
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
