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Sajith accuses govt. of hiding behind IMF and not having a strategy to overcome crisis
By Saman Indrajith
The government did not have a social contract with the people, Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament on Monday (21).
The government had to tell people what its strategy for overcoming the crisis was and secure the cooperation of all stakeholders, he said.
“We are facing a serious crisis. We are not the only country to face a crisis. Many governments have successfully faced similar crises and they have done this by coming into a social contract with the people. The Ranil Wickremesinghe government has no contract with the people. The only contract the President has is the one with the 134 MPs that voted him into power,” he said.
Premadasa said that MPs have been debating the 2023 budged for days. However, the rationale behind the budget is not revealed to the MPs, the opposition leader said.
“The government has come to a staff level agreement with the IMF and all its policies are based on that. However, the MPs have not seen it. The Parliament is supposed to determine state finances, but this is not true. Everyone knows this. The government is also using the IMF agreement to fleece the people. If anyone criticizes the economic policy of the government, its leaders say that this is what the IMF wants, and that Sri Lanka will be in deep trouble without IMF funding. I don’t know about the IMF, but rich henchmen of the government are benefitting,” he said.
Premadasa added that the budget 2023 has many inconsistencies. It talks about encouraging exports while burdening exporters with taxes.
“The ministers talk about an environmentally friendly budget and about digitization. This is good but where is the money allocated for this? This is not different to the 2022 budget presented by Basil Rajapaksa. The average Sri Lankan is taxed while people involved in corruption are given tax breaks. The sugar scam had cost the state 45 billion rupees. The state is not taxing cigarettes. Officials don’t want to tax tobacco because they are getting money from big tobacco,” he said.
Basil Rajapaksa reduced the taxes on tobacco, Premadasa said. Under a Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) government those who had stolen state funds will be punished and these individuals will have to pay what they owe the state, he said.
“The government is trying to embezzle EPF money again by introducing an insurance scheme for the private sector. 20 percent of the money allocated for welfare will be used for administration work. We need to change this. How do we identify poor people and ensure that the money doesn’t go to cronies? I heard a professor saying that the best way to identify the poor is to look at people’s electricity consumption. This is a good method. We need to do a survey on poverty. We should have done this after COVID. If we had done research and taken steps, we wouldn’t be seeing this level of poverty,” he 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
