News
Parliament flays FM, etc., for revenue shortfalls: Siyambalapitya says situation not properly assessed
by Shamindra Ferdinando
Some declarations made by various parliamentary committees about public finance often didn’t represent the actual situation, says State Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya.
Siyambalapitiya said so when The Island sought his response to criticism against the Finance Ministry and three revenue collection authorities namely the Inland Revenue, Customs and Excise department, for their failure to meet revenue targets.
The Committee of Public Enterprises (COPE), Sectoral Oversight Committee on Alleviating the Impact of the Economic Crisis, Committee on Ways and Means, Committee on National Economic and Physical Plans and Committee on Public Finance (COPF) respectively headed by Lasantha Alagiyawanne, Gamini Waleboda, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Dr. Harsha de Silva, have recently sought explanation from the relevant authorities regarding their failure to carry out specific instructions issued by Parliament.
The State Finance Minister emphasised that those who had been entrusted with revenue collection tasks were in overdrive. When The Island pointed out that the parliamentary committees always based their assessments on the latest available data provided by relevant revenue collection authorities, lawmaker Siyambalapitiya said of the Rs 943 bn mentioned by them as the total amount of uncollected taxes as much as 60 % to 65% had been held up in the legal process at different levels. “The Inland Revenue Department cannot be held responsible for delays caused by lengthy legal processes,” the State Finance Minister said.
Siyambalapitiya said that he wouldn’t deny the possibility of unscrupulous elements resorting to legal measures, including the appeal process to deliberately delay payments.MP Siyambalapitiya said that of the remaining 35% uncollected taxes, about 15% had been collected so far and they were keen to continue with ongoing efforts to bring the operation to a successful conclusion.
Asked whether the Attorney General’s Department had been consulted as regards inordinate legal delays, the State Minister said that there were three rounds of talks with them as well as with Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC.
Siyambalapitiya pointed out that those who had been trying to avoid taxes enjoyed the services of the best lawyers. “We cannot do anything about citizens resorting to legal measures. That is the ground reality,” MP Siyambalapitiya said, urging the parliament to instead explore ways and means to overcome the problem.
Commenting on the massive sugar duty scam perpetrated in Oct 2020, State Minister Siyambalapitiya said that so far Rs 310 mn had been recovered from six importers though altogether 12 businesses were investigated. MP Siyambalapitiya said that the CID conducted a thorough investigation into the sugar tax scam and submitted a report to the AG and was awaiting his instructions to take legal action.
The Auditor General has declared that the government suffered a loss of over Rs 16 bn due to the reduction of sugar tax from Rs 50 to 25 cents by way of a gazette issued on Oct 13, 2020.
Siyambalapitiya acknowledged that deterioration of desired standards couldn’t be rectified overnight. “However, we are making a determined effort to turn around the situation,” the SLPPer said, accusing the Opposition of attempting to exploit the current economic crisis to their political advantage.
At the recent meeting chaired by State Transport Minister Alagiyawanne, in his capacity as the Chairman of COPE, the lawmakers found fault with the Finance Ministry for neglecting its primary duties and responsibilities. The Finance Ministry representatives had been told that a proposal made in 2016 to the Finance Ministry to improve and enhance IT setups at revenue collection authorities wasn’t implemented. Therefore a committee headed by Secretaries to the President and the Premier was established to look into this matter and take whatever steps necessary to expedite the process.
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.
