News
Power cuts: UNP leader draws govt.’s attention to plight of A/L candidates
By Saman Indrajith
UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday called on the government to heed the impact of ongoing power cuts on children sitting the GCE A/L examination.
Making a special statement in Parliament, the UNP leader said that the ongoing power cuts might have serious negative repercussions on the future of children facing the advanced level examination which was considered to be a major turning point of their lives.
Wickremesinghe said that the power cuts had a serious impact on students and it would reflect on their Z-scores on which their university entrance was determined. There was a possibility that some affected parties would petition the Supreme Court since their fundamental rights were violated. “These students have been inconvenienced due to power cuts and it is not fair for them. They can even file Fundamental Rights petitions. Therefore, it would be better if the power cuts could be prevented until the examination is concluded in March,” Wickremesinghe said.
Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena said his ministry was conducting discussions with the Commissioner General of Examinations, Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) and the Ceylon Electricity Board to prevent power cuts until the Advanced Level Examination was concluded. A discussion regarding the matter was held on Tuesday (22) night.
Minister Gunawardena thanked Wickeremsinghe for raising the matter in the House.
“The Education Ministry has commenced discussions with the Commissioner General of Examinations, the PUCSL and the CEB regarding this. One such discussion was held on Tuesday (22) night. We hope to find a favourable solution to this,” he said.
Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila said allocating funds to purchase fuel had become a problem to the country at the moment.
He said that the Government had invited foreign ambassadors in Colombo representing countries that produce fuel for a meeting to be held on March 15 to discuss the possibility of purchasing fuel on long-term credit.
Minister Gammanpila said that during an emergency Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday (22) evening, it was thoroughly discussed on increasing the fuel prices and decided not to increase the prices right now. He said that there were no shortages of fuel, medicine and other necessities in the country, but a shortage of US dollars.
“However, the Cabinet decided to release funds to obtain fuel shipments. Following that, payments have been made to three shipments that were berthed at the Colombo Port and fuel stocks from two petrol and diesel shipments are being carried to the land since Monday (21). There is another shipment berthed and we hope the Treasury will release the funds as soon as possible, as agreed at the emergency Cabinet meeting,” he said.
Gammanpila accepted that there was a diesel shortage in the country at the moment. “That is because we had to limit diesel stocks released to the filling stations until finding funds to release the said diesel shipment”, he said.
The Minister pointed out that some filling stations hid petrol and diesel following the statements made by Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) Chairman that fuel prices would have to be increased by a large margin and price increase of Lanka IOC.
“Sri Lanka has the lowest fuel prices in South Asia. We are ranked 22nd among the countries that supply fuel for lower prices. The other 21 countries produce fuel by themselves on a large-scale.”
Owing to the Russia – Ukraine tensions, fuel prices are expected to increase in the global market in coming days. When we increased fuel price last time on 22 December 2021, a crude oil barrel was priced at USD 72. But now, it has increased to USD 99. It is expected that a crude oil barrel will be priced at USD 115 by March. Therefore, we have invited Ambassadors of the countries that produce fuel for discussions on 15 March, to determine whether it is possible to obtain fuel from their countries on long-term credit, the minister elaborated.
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
