News
Govt. ready for horse-trading to raise numbers in Parliament in case of a split – Johnston
The government is ready for negotiations to increase its numbers in Parliament in case of any of its coalition partners pulling out, says Chief Government Whip Highways Minister Johnston Fernando.
“Our doors are open. Anyone can leave. We are not going to stop anyone because we can anytime take more than the required number of heads from the Opposition. We are ready to face any desertions of allied MPs. There are many in the Opposition side to join the government. They are ready to come to our fold by a single call,” the Minister said responding to a query on rumours of split within government ranks by a journalist during an inspection tour to review progress of constructing work of the Badagamuwa vehicle parking terminal and its health facilities centre recently.
“We do not want to see them leave us. We will never forget the allied party MPs who assisted us to build this government. Their leaving does not mean the government would collapse. The government is stronger than ever and has enough supply of MPs anytime we need from the Opposition. Our strategy is not to make announcements of the numbers ready to cross the Well of House to our side but to put into action an already arranged plan to replenish the number of MPs to keep our present composition in toto,” the Minister said.
Responding to a question on foreign exchange reserve crisis, the Minister said that there were speculations of loss of reserve and a resultant collapse of the economy and thereafter the government. “We would not let that happen. We are capable enough to steer our way out of the forex reserve problem. The Anura Kumara Dissanayake clique and the Sajith Premadasa gang in the opposition are happy to hear the dwindling of forex reserves and are daydreaming of a possible government collapse. They also seem to derive a perverted happiness to see temporary food shortages and price increases. They think that just because price increases people will turn to them and vote for their parties. They underestimate the intelligence of people who know that these sudden price changes were because of certain dents in our supply chains in the economy owing to the pandemic and recent closing downs. These are very temporary issues. Once the supply chain is error free it would function better than it was and none of these problems would exist. It is sad to notice that the opposition has a degenerate thinking that they do not see that the country’s economy should be protected because this is their country too. Their power hunger is so high that they do not care and it does not matter if they could grab power somehow even if it would be over the bodies of people. The rest of the country however hopes only that this problem will be over soon and the nation will prosper,” the Minister said.
Responding to questions on increases of prices of fuel and other essential items, the Minister said that cost of living indices of other countries too show similar trend and it is not a problem confined to Sri Lanka alone. “There are shortages and thereby price increases. We managed to hold the fuel prices down for a considerable time. We had to increase the prices as a temporary measure to keep the economy going. There would be further increases in prices of goods and services. People world over are facing this reality. Nobody likes price increases. If we did not increase fuel prices the CPC would have suffered a severe loss. To cover that loss taxes would have been imposed on all whether they use vehicles or not. We did not take that option,” the Minister said.
Asked to respond to the prevailing problems and issues pertaining to gas consumption, the Minister said that there was a problem pertaining to gas and it is being addressed on a priority basis. “We regret the inconveniences, but in the meantime, we are working fast to solve the problem. It is my personal hunch that this is a created-problem and there seems to be hands of sabotage. We as a government have the responsibility to find solutions and help people enjoy the festive season,” the minister said.
The Badagamuwa Vehicle Parking Terminal and health services centre are constructed by the Road Development Authority.
Associated with the Minister were ministry and RDA officials led by Secretary to the Ministry of Highways RWR Pemasiri.
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
