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Hand over economic management to independent technocrats: SJB MP
By Sanath Nanayakkare
Samagi Jana Balavegaya MP Patali Champika Ranawaka said in Colombo recently that managing the economy of the country should be handed over to a group of independent technocrats.
“The general public and the business people are growing increasingly less confident about the capacity of the political leadership to pull the country out of the current economic crisis. So, the situation calls for the government to turn over the management of the economy to a group chosen through a process that emphasises their relevant skills and proven performance to put the economy back in shape,” Ranawaka said.
The MP said that such technocrats needed to be truly independent and need not just serve the interests of popular politics because if a sovereign default happens, all Sri Lankans, those who voted for the government and those who didn’t, would have to face grave repercussions.
Ranawaka made these comments at an Advocata forum themed, “A National Consensus for Economic Reforms.
Ranawaka said that Sri Lanka has got into a precarious financial situation today where it can’t raise enough capital either in the domestic market or in the international capital market.
“In the next eight months, we have to honour commitments on International Sovereign Bonds and Sri Lanka Development Bonds worth nearly USD $ 3 billion with only USD $ 1.5 billion cash in hand. In this backdrop, Sri Lanka runs the risk of a default and potential bankruptcy at some point. Even if the authorities begin talks on renegotiating and rescheduling of our foreign loans, that would technically mean declaring bankruptcy. When Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa asked the government of India to postpone Sri Lanka’s debt by three years, that also tantamount to acknowledging bankruptcy. If the country hits bankruptcy, it will have a negative impact across the board. It won’t be easy recovering after a default and bankruptcy. It could lead to multiple defaults. Defaults by Argentina on its foreign debt as well as the debt crisis in Greece led to a loss of confidence in their economies. They haven’t recovered fully. They may recover for some time and they falter again. Elections were held in Greece from time to time to resolve the economic issue. Masses elected leaders from the left, centre and right in the political spectrum, but nothing has worked meaningfully. The economic malaise has dragged on for 10 years in Greece. Argentina is no different. If a sovereign debt default occurs in Sri Lanka, we may face a similar situation. It would be unwise to think that when the situation aggravates, it would help the Opposition to come to power. Whoever comes to power, would have to bear the same pain and pressure, so a sovereign default must be averted,” he said.
He said that the government is still not serious about this serious situation.
“Our concern is whether political leaders and responsible authorities are paying the issue the attention it deserves. This crisis can’t be solved by providing each Grama Niladhari division with Rs. 3 million to spend on building rural infrastructure. If a default happens, its negative spillover could see the loss of thousands of jobs triggering a social explosion. The racial and religious tensions which are under wraps could flare up again and foreign investors would try to capitalise on the situation. A fine example for this is; about six months ago the Urban Development Authority put up more than 50 strategic national properties for sale under what was called ‘Selendiva’. It was said that USD 5 billion would be raised from its proceeds. Nevertheless no buyer has made any bids to date. We are often told that USD 3.6 billion is coming from Oman, USD 2.5 billion is coming from some other country and so on. But these have not materialised yet. Why? Everyone has realis-ed that Sri Lanka is on its way towards bankruptcy. And investors know that they can buy these assets for five million dollars once that happens. It is very clear that nobody is coming to buy these assets right now. There are no friends left here for us. In 2019, during our administration, we arranged four investments for the much hyped Port City and the foundation stones were laid. I can tell you that those investments or anything else won’t come to Port City next year. All countries in the world are experiencing varying degrees of volatility and instability as the virus has again plunged the world back into uncertain territory. No friends have been left for us in the midst of it.
“So coming to a national consensus on structural reforms needed to get out of the economic crisis is critical right now. It’s up to the government to show the right signals that it is ready to move along the correct political and fiscal path to get the support of everyone to do it,” 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
