News
Keerthi: IMF conditions painful but necessary
Country paying heavy price for delaying decision
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Former Governor of Uva, Southern and Central Provinces Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon yesterday (16) said that those who objected to the government seeking IMF’s assistance had ruined the economy.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had, in his address to the nation on Wednesday, expressed his willingness to seek IMF assistance, Tennakoon said.
Tennakoon, one-time Executive Director of polls monitoring body CaFFE told The Island that in fact Sri Lanka had been engaged in discussions with the IMF since February 2019 in the run-up to the presidential election.
But the talks had suffered a setback following the change of government following the 2019 presidential election, Tennakoon said, adding that one of conditions was the enactment of Monetary Law Act to bring about discipline the financial sector and stability, Tennakoon said.
According to him, one of the key conditions had been to remove Secretary to the Finance Ministry from the five-member Monetary Board. The IMF believed far reaching changes were necessary to restore financial discipline, particularly uncontrolled printing of notes that had caused inflation.
Tennakoon said that Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa favoured IMF’s intervention. As soon as he succeeded Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Finance Minister in July last year, Sri Lanka sought the IMF intervention. Much respected former Governor of the Central Bank and head of a Sri Lanka overseas mission arranged the IMF’s intervention, Tennakoon said.
Responding to queries, Tennakoon said that the government would be asked by the IMF to implement the late Mangala Samamaweera’s formula that helped Treasury to collect well over Rs 1,900 bn in 2019 and the current dispensation lost well over Rs. 500 bn due to a controversial decision to do away with a range of taxes, including PAYE (Pay As You Earn), NBT (Nation Building Tax), Withholding tax, Capital Gain tax imposed on the Colombo Stock Exchange, Bank Debit tax and unprecedented reduction of VAT (Value Added Tax).
Tennakoon said that the 15% VAT and the 2% NBT which amounted to 17% imposed on all goods and services were unified and reduced to 8%, effective from the first of December 2019.
He said that the decision was taken at the first cabinet meeting of the incumbent government held on Nov 27, 2019.
Sri Lanka would be also asked to introduce pricing mechanisms for electricity and fuel if the government wanted IMF’s assistance, Tennakoon said. Interest rates, too, shouldn’t be subjected to political whims and fancies, Tennakoon said, adding that the IMF conditions would cause tremendous pressure on the government though it was in such a desperate situation it couldn’t take a tough stand.
As many as 40 loss-making state enterprises including national carrier SriLankan were likely to be identified for privatization or re-structuring, Tennakoon said, urging political parties not to sabotage current efforts at reaching consensus on national economy.
The one-time favourite of former President Sirisena emphasised that the government should without delay inquire into the circumstances leading to the Central Bank suddenly floating rupee over a week ago. It would be pertinent to ask whether the Central Bank has sought Cabinet approval before the announcement was made, Tennakoon said, alleging the country suffered due to the Finance Ministry and the Central Bank pulling in different directions.
The civil society activist alleged that for want of a cohesive action plan, the government inadvertently caused serious mistakes though nothing could be as bad as handling of the national economy.
Tennakoon said that the IMF’s role undermined Pohottuwa policies but the ruling party couldn’t do anything about it. Commenting on social media reports of CBSL Governor Cabraal being asked to step down immediately, Tennakoon said that no one could force him to do so. Cabraal could continue till July 4, 2022 as he was in the process of completing the period allocated for his predecessor, Tennkoon said, adding that though the President could replace Cabraal after July 4 it wouldn’t help to address the crisis.
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
