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Lanka invites UK digitalisation pioneer for insights on boosting state revenue
Sri Lanka has invited the UK’s former Paymaster General Francis Maude, who oversaw the creation of the Government Digital Service in 2011, to visit the country and share his insights on digitalisation with a view to boosting state revenue.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe told officials at a committee meeting on Wednesday July 12 that Sri Lanka’s new revenue generation strategies draw inspiration from the UK, whose own methods have been “greatly refined and improved over time”.
“Thus, we must examine the latest systems and develop the necessary infrastructure accordingly. Proposed amendments to the Audit Act have been put forward to support this objective,” a statement from the President’s Media Division (PMD) quoting Wickremesinghe said.
“We have extended an invitation to Mr. Francis Maude, who served under Prime Minister David Cameron and has substantial expertise in this area, to visit Sri Lanka and share his insights on sectoral reform,” he said.
President Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka must explore new avenues for increasing income tax revenues, as outlined in a report presented to him by a committee appointed to recommend revenue-generating strategies. The committee is chaired by State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya.
“This aspect has received significant attention within our parliament. It can be argued that the lack of parliamentary discussions in the past two or three years, along with a lack of interest in certain cases, has been a primary cause of the economic crisis. To address this, several inquiry committees on income tax and the fiscal situation have been established. It is within these activities that we should seek out these new approaches,” said Wickremesinghe.
Speaking at the meeting, the president has highlighted the importance of financial discipline in nation-building and has also announced plans to promptly introduce formal measures to control public expenditure and generate new government revenue.
The PMD statement said Wickremesinghe had stressed on the need to maximise the value of every rupee spent by the government, as currently, public expenditure “often fails to achieve this objective”.
He expressed concern over not only the neglect of public revenue but also the unrestricted spending of public funds on non-beneficial activities, which has contributed to the economic crisis in the country, the statement said.
According to the PMD, the committee’s report encompasses recommendations aimed at establishing a structured framework to attain the revenue goals of the Inland Revenue Department (IRD), Sri Lanka Customs, and the Excise Department. It also suggests the implementation of novel approaches to augment government revenue and the creation of a digital economic infrastructure to support these endeavours.
The president has directed the State Minister Siyambalapitiya to engage in further discussions regarding these proposals and present them to the Parliamentary Committee on Ways and Means and also called for an extensive media campaign to educate the public.
Chair of the parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Economic and Physical Plans Mahindananda Aluthgamage said at a meeting on July 06 that only 31,000 Sri Lankans out of some 500,000 persons with registered income tax files pay personal income tax while 328 registered limited companies out of 105,000 contribute to 82 percent of tax revenue.
Aluthgamage said that regular discussions will be held with Sri Lanka Customs, the Excise Department and the IRD on providing facilities including a digital data system linking the three entities in a bid to increase state revenue. (Economynext)
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
