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Korea provides USD 4 mn to enhance National Traffic Database and capacity building
The Korea International Cooperation Agency, (KOICA) provided a grant worth four million USD to the Road Development Authority through the Ministry of Highways. The Record of Discussion for the project was signed on Nov 30, at the Ministry of Highways.
Country Director of the KOICA Sri Lanka Office, Kang Youn Hwa, Secretary of the Ministry of Highways RWR Pemasiri and representatives of the Road Development Authority were in attendance at the signing ceremony.
The project objective is to produce and implement a traffic data analysis and management system at the national level for better transport infrastructure development in Sri Lanka. The project will be implemented by the Road Development Authority and is targeted to be completed in 2025.
Based on Korea’s advanced road traffic system and road traffic data management expertise, KOICA will dispatch a number of Korean transportation experts who will be working with the Road Development Authority on various components of this project.
The project outcomes include developing a national-level traffic data management plan, conducting capacity building for the Road Development Authority personnel, establishing traffic database and operation management system and providing equipment for the traffic database management system. This project will be expected to contribute to developing an advanced road transport plan and to the strengthening of road transport capacity in Sri Lanka.
KOICA has supported the transportation sector in Sri Lanka previously under the Technical Assistance for Advanced Traffic Management System in Colombo Metropolitan Region project (2013-2017) with a successful partnership. Continuing the goodwill, the Korean Government has furthered its grant aid by 4 million USD towards the development of the transportation sector of Sri Lanka under the newly signed Record of Discussion for the new project.
At the small ceremony held at the Ministry of Highways to sign the Record of Discussion for the project the Country Director KOICA stated “KOICA is always looking forward to supporting our partner countries to make a sustainable change. The Republic of Korea, having made giant strides in the transportation sector over the years, we are more than happy to share our expertise and knowledge with developing countries with a such potential as Sri Lanka. KOICA has positive experiences previously working with the Road Development Authority with the successfully completed advanced traffic management system project and we look forward to a successful partnership in this project as well.”
The secretary, Ministry of Highways in his short address extended their gratitude towards the government of the Republic of Korea for the continued support given to Sri Lanka. He reminisced with gratitude the support given by KOICA in the aftermath of the Tsunami disaster to build the Mahanama Bridge in Matara. He reassured the fullest cooperation and support by the Government counterparts to ensure that the project is successfully implemented.
KOICA, government agency of the Republic of Korea, contributes to the advancement of international cooperation through various projects that build friendly and collaborative relationships and mutual exchanges between Korea and developing countries and support the economic and social development in developing countries, under the mission of ‘Leave no one behind with People centered Peace and Prosperity.’
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
