News
Massive revenue losses blamed on Parliament
Customs, Motor Traffic faulted, Rs 3 bn scam revealed
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The first report of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) for the first session of the 9th Parliament has revealed that the Treasury lost billions of rupees annually due to the failure on the part of Parliament to update laws against corruption and irregularities involving state institutions and the private sector.
The COPA has named the Sri Lanka Customs and the Department of Motor Traffic as two key institutions responsible for the pathetic situation.
The Customs and Motor Traffic Departments come under the purview of the Finance and Transport Ministries. Parliament is in charge of overall finances.
COPA Chairman Prof. Tissa Vitharana, National List member of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) on Tuesday (20) presented the report to the parliament.
COPA consists of Udaya Gammanpila, Duminda Dissanayake, Dayasiri Jayasekara, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, (Dr) (Mrs) Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Shehan Semasinghe, Prasanna Ranaweera, Tissa Attanayake, (Prof) Tissa Vitharana, Harin Fernando, Niroshan Perera, Faizal Cassim, Ashok Abeysinghe, Buddhika Pathirana, K. Kader Masthan, Sivagnanam Shritharan, (Dr.) Upul Galappaththi, B. Y. G. Rathnasekara, Weerasumana Weerasinghe, (Prof.) Ranjith Bandara, Mohomad Muzammil, and Dr. (Mrs.) Harini Amarasuriya.
The COPA has dealt with how successive governments conveniently had turned a blind eye to organized scams that deprived the Treasury much needed revenue especially at a time the cash-strapped government was struggling to cope up with deteriorating economic situation.
The LSSP veteran told parliament that those who could pay taxes took advantage of loopholes in the law and existing systems to deprive the Treasury of huge amounts of money.
The one-time minister pointed out how those enterprises which could pay taxes without difficulty exploited an opportunity to appeal thrice and then move court against the Inland Revenue to delay payment of taxes, further.
Recommending that the number of appeals should be reduced to one, Prof. Vitharana questioned the rationale in allowing various enterprises to evade paying taxes by exploiting the existing procedures.
Interestingly, COPA presented its report ahead of the vote of no-confidence motion against Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila over the increase in fuel prices– a development the lawmaker blamed on extremely difficult economic situation.
Prof. Vitharana said that COPA made recommendations meant to recover taxes due to the Treasury and streamline the process. The report revealed massive scams over a period of time in the absence of scrutiny at any level. It reiterated that the Customs and the Department of Motor Traffic caused colossal losses and were the worst culprits.
COPA revealed that the Treasury had been denied a staggering Rs 3 bn in taxes in the import of Toyota Hilux Smart Cabs as a result of the Customs fraudulently releasing 3,000 vehicles under a different category. Each vehicle had been taxed Rs 1 mn less than it should have been, COPA pointed out adding that in another instance 44 vehicles imported under the category of special purpose vehicles had been subsequently registered as dual purpose vehicles resulting in a further loss of Rs 1.3 bn. According to the report the import of 44 vehicles had taken place during 2010-2019 period.
Department of Communications, Parliament yesterday (21) briefed the media of the salient points in the COPA report.
COPA also dealt with how the Customs caused a loss of Rs. 6.1 bn to the Treasury during 2013-2016 in imports made by two leading palm oil companies.
Former Minister and one-time Chairman of COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises) Dew Gunasekera told The Island that the government should make a genuine effort to streamline the revenue collection process by taking tangible measures to curb corruption and irregularities in the overall process.
The veteran Communist said that the country’s economy was in such a mess and turmoil the government couldn’t afford to turn a blind eye to waste, corruption, irregularities as well as negligence that caused debilitating losses to the national economy. If those lawmakers realized the gravity of the situation they wouldn’t have caused an uproar when Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila announced the fuel price hike on June 12, Gunasekera said.
Gammanpila’s statement as well as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s address to the nation in which he acknowledged the daunting task in meeting annual loan repayments amounting to USD 4 bn, reflected the ground situation.
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
