News
‘Runaway cost of living: Govt. rendered itself impotent by doing away with price controls’
Ex-CAA official: “Trade, Consumer Protection ministries reduced to nameboards’
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Co-operative Services, Marketing Development and Consumer Protection State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna said that the government could not interfere with the Milk Food Importers’ Association decision to increase the prices of imported powdered milk.
The SLFPer pointed out that price control on imported milk food had been done away with in early November. Therefore, the Consumer Protection Ministry couldn’t interfere with their decision, the Gampaha District lawmaker said, adding he was informed of the price increase.
MP Alagiyawanna said so when The Island sought his response to the Milk Food Importers’ Association announcement on Thursday (30) as regards the price increase with effect from Dec 30 midnight. According to their spokesperson Asoka Bandara, the price of a kilo of packeted milk powder would cost Rs 1,345 and 400 grammes pack Rs 540.
State Minister Alagiyawanna said that a kilo of imported milk powder and 400 grammes pack had cost Rs. 1,195 and Rs 480 before.
State Minister Jayantha Samaraweera on behalf of the National Freedom Front (NFF) recently urged the government to re-impose price controls or face the consequences. Lawmaker Samaraweera alleged that duty concessions that had been granted to various importers, including the Milk Food Importers’ Association didn’t benefit the consumers. The Kalutara District MP cited the reduction of duty on imported sugar in Oct 2020 as a case in point.
Having imposed emergency regulations that had been imposed on Aug. 30, 2021 to prevent hoarding and the termination of the Office of Commissioner General of Essential Services, the government on Nov 04, 2021 removed the retail price cap on several essential commodities through a gazette notification. The retail prices of dhal, sugar, sprats, green gram, potatoes, big onions, canned fish, chickpeas, wheat flour, full cream milk powder, dried fish, coconut, chicken and maize were removed.
The new gazette notification has also removed the maximum price limit of Rs. 1,500 for a 400g packet of sausages and Rs. 1,500 for a kg of mackerel. In addition to that the Special Commodity Levy of Rs.65 per kg of imported rice has been reduced to 25 cents for the next six months.
As per the powers vested in terms of the section 2 of the Public Security Ordinance, President Rajapaksa declared emergency regulations formulated as per the section 5 on essential food supply, with effect from midnight August 30, 2021.
Authority (CAA) Thushan Gunawardena questioned the justification of maintaining the Consumer Protection Ministry as well as the CAA at the taxpayers’ expense in the absence of what he called price control mechanism. “Consumers are fleeced. The government brazenly provides tacit support to unscrupulous business enterprises. On one hand, duty concessions are granted. And on the other hand price controls are done away with. The hapless public has no protection at all,” Gunawardena said.
The cabinet minister in charge of trade Bandula Gunawardena and State Minister of Consumer Protection Alagiyawanna should quit because they were jobless, Gunawardena said adding that there had never been a previous instance of any particular government altogether abolishing price controls.
Outspoken ex-official Gunawardena said that the appointment of a senior serving army officer Maj. Gen. M. D. S. P Niwunhella as Commissioner General of Essential Services for a short period was nothing but a joke. Gunawardena pointed out that having targeted some of those who hoarded sugar and rice and promised an uninterrupted supply of essential items at a reasonable price, the government had done away with price controls, abolished the Office of Essential Services and reduced the trade and consumer protection ministries to just name boards.
Responding to another query, Gunawardena pointed out that the recent media statements that had been attributed to State Minister Samaraweera revealed that the government had done away with price controls without consultations with constituents of the ruling coalition. “In fact, the current dispensation does not seem to believe in proper consultations as regards any matter. There cannot be a better example than the Yugadanavi Power plant share sale agreement,” Gunawardena said.
Asked what the government would do in case the Milk Food Importers’ Association exploited the consumers, State Minister Alagiyawanna said that the government could always resort to price controls. Asked to explain, the lawmaker said that in the case of milk food prices, before the association decided on Rs 150 per kilo increase, it was sold at Rs 1,195. “We are in a position to ascertain how the world market prices as well as shipping charges are impacting on imports,” MP Alagiyawanna said.
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
