News
Prez accused of seeking to gain total control of public finance
‘Public Debt Management Bill threat to democratic governance’
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Opposition MP Charitha Herath yesterday (30) alleged that the controversial Public Debt Management Bill that had been tabled in Parliament last week was aimed at bringing public sector finance entirely under the Finance Minister.
Claiming that UNP leader and President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Finance Minister, seemed to be bent on achieving total control over public finance, dissident SLPP MP warned of dire consequences if the ruling party backed what he called an authoritarian move.
Herath dealt with the Public Debt Management Bill at a briefing held at the Nawala office of the Nidahasa Janatha Sabhawa.
Several members of the SLPP dissident group, including Prof. G.L. Peiris and Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, have aligned themselves with the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).
The National List MP said that the proposed Bill would deprive other members of the Cabinet, including the Prime Minister, of powers so far exercised by them pertaining to their ministries and instead subjecting them to the Finance Minister’s control.
Once this Bill received the approval of Parliament, as far as public finance matters are concerned, all other ministries would be irrelevant, MP Herath said.
The issue at hand is that the President happened to be the Finance Minister, MP Herath said. Responding to a query regarding the responsibility of Parliament for public finance raised by The Island, MP Herath said: “In terms of Article 148, all public finances will be under the total control of Parliament. Therefore, the Finance portfolio, being under a person not represented in Parliament, is a matter for serious concern. If public finance is constitutionally under Parliament, the executive shouldn’t, under any circumstances, hold that particular portfolio.”
The Public Debt Management Bill had been formulated in such a way that once Parliament approved it, the Finance portfolio could be held only by a President, the Opposition MP said, asserting that the democratic way of governance was facing an extreme threat.
Asked to explain, MP Herath said that the latest move seemed to be in line with Wickremesinghe’s overall political strategy in the run-up to the presidential election.
MP Herath issued copies of the Bill to the media urging them to vigorously pursue the issue. The SLPPer found fault with political parties and the media for not paying sufficient attention to the developing dictatorial situation.
Referring to the passage of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Bill on July 20, 2023, MP Herath said that though the UNP had just one National List MP in Parliament Wickremesinghe obviously achieved the unthinkable by craftily exploiting the current situation. The Second Reading of the Bill was passed by a majority of 42 votes, with 66 voting in favour and 24 voting against it.
The Public Debt Management Bill would cause further deterioration of democratic governance, MP Herath alleged, claiming that the President was seeking an apparatus hitherto unavailable to any President to control public finance.
MP Herath claimed that the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government had formulated the Public Debt Management Bill on the basis of the IMF’s recommendations/conditions in the wake of the unprecedented economic crisis that erupted in late 2021. Acknowledging that the country hadn’t been out of the woods yet though the government finalized agreement with the IMF in March 2023 regarding the USD 2.9 bn bailout package, MP Herath said the solution couldn’t be found in an apparatus run by the executive.
Had that happened, there wouldn’t be any meaning to Parliament being constitutionally responsible for public finance, MP Herath said.
The first-time entrant to Parliament said that the UNP leader had no regard for democratic way of governance. The move to break-up the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and privatize various cash cows meant that the UNP leader pursued his same old agenda that had been over and over again rejected by the electorate.
MP Herath urged his colleagues to be mindful of their responsibilities as the President was all out to privatize the remaining public assets.
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
