News
Impending food shortages: Warnings not enough, make available fertiliser – ex-Governor
By Shamindra Ferdinando
In spite of repeated warnings of impending food shortages issued by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, the incumbent dispensation hadn’t taken tangible measures to provide required fungicide, pesticide, and weedicide, former Governor of Uva, Southern and Central Provinces, Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon told The Island yesterday.
Civil society activist Tennakoon said that the failure on the part of the government to provide those vital agro-chemicals should be examined against the backdrop of disruption of the fertilizer supply.
Tennakoon said that the government should be ashamed of the crisis that had been caused by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s unilateral decision to introduce carbonic fertilizer.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa banned chemical fertilizers in May 2021. In late Nov 2021, the government partially lifted the ban.
Responding to queries, the NGO activist said that he wrote to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday (02) requesting his immediate intervention to procure urgently required chemical fertilizer in sufficient quantities.
Tennakoon has informed the President that though the fungicide and pesticide ban had been lifted in Nov 2021, followed by the lifting of the ban on weedicide in Feb this year, adequate stocks weren’t imported due to the Central and commercial banks withholding required funds.
Pointing out the growing difficulties experienced by farmers cultivating diverse crops, in addition to paddy, Tennakoon underscored the need to ensure supply of both chemical fertilizer/quality carbonic fertilizer as well as three types of agro chemicals.
The civil society activist stressed that the absence of agro chemicals could be as devastating as not receiving sufficient chemical fertilizer / carbonic fertilizer.
Tennakoon alleged in his latter that the Agriculture Ministry, Agriculture Department or any other institution/authority handling agriculture hadn’t sought the Central Bank’s intervention during the past six months.
According to Tennakoon, a major importer of chemical fertilizer hadn’t been able to obtain the required USD from its bankers in the recent past. Alleging that none of those who had been tasked to address issues at hand even bothered to discuss ways and means of overcoming the challenge, Tennakoon said that the new Finance Minister who is also the Prime Minister and the Agriculture Secretary were yet to ask for required funds.
Tennakoon has warned President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of dire consequences unless immediate action was taken to ensure the required state backing for the national effort.
The former Governor said that in addition to the President, he took up this issue with Prime Minister Ranil Wickresinghe and the Secretary to the Agriculture Ministry.
Tennakoon said that none of those in authority who had warned the country of impending food shortages had yet taken any tangible action. The civil activist urged the government to reach consensus on a common agenda. Tennakoon said that a few hours before the President’s Media announced Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promising much required fertilizer, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera claimed he received an assurance from the World Bank that funding would be made available for Sri Lanka to procure its total requirement of fertilizer.
Tennakoon also pointed out that Public Administration Ministry Secretary Priyantha Mayadunne recently explained the crisis in the agriculture sector. The government should take Mayadunne’s warning seriously, Tennakoon said, adding that political parties represented in Parliament seemed to be blind to the threat.
Again referring to Mayadunne’s declaration of an unprecedented food shortage, Tennakoon said that Sri Lanka couldn’t entirely depend on external assistance as many countries were experiencing food shortages.
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
