News
Sajith pledges to renegotiate agreement with IMF
…Arjuna joins SJB Thalawakele rally
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) would renegotiate the agreement with the IMF to make it more people friendly, SJB and Opposition Leader, Sajith Premadasa said yesterday (01) addressing their main May Day event at Chatham Street, Colombo Fort.
Premadasa said: “We will also establish presidential task forces to look into the wellbeing of children, women, and infants. A special programme will be implemented to uplift female-led households. We will take care of the 1.7 million differently abled people. We will establish independent anti-corruption entities that are created by entrenched clauses of the Constitution.”
Premadasa said people asked him why he had not accepted the post of Prime Minister offered to him by Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022.
“Some people tell me I should have taken a shortcut to power. I could have become the PM before the constitutional coup in 2018,” he said.
The Opposition leader said that an SJB government would boost spending on education and healthcare. The SJB government would also establish centres of IT akin to the Silicon Valley in the US, in all 25 districts in the country.
“We will establish a million start-ups. All government institutions will be made profitable. We will also establish private-public partnerships. Right now, those who run the government are engaged in a money grab.”
Premadasa said that they have come up with a proposal to get to the bottom of the Easter Sunday attacks. This has been presented to the Catholic Church, he said adding that
“We will bring to justice everyone behind the attacks”.
The SJB leader said that tea small holders own 40 percent of total tea cultivated areas. But they produce 70 percent of the tea output.
“The large-scale plantations only produce 30 percent. We will promote tea small holders by providing underutilized lands owned by these big plantation companies.”
Premadasa said that there is a need to create a national wealth fund.
SJB MP Harsha de Silva said 34 percent of the urban youth are unemployed and that only about 34 percent of the women are in the workforce. An SJB government would address the concerns of these people, he said.
“In the first five years of Sajith Premadasa’s tenure, he will create 1.5 million jobs and opportunities to be entrepreneurs. We have missed the opportunity to be in the global supply chain. The components of the iPhone are made in over 40 countries, but Sri Lanka is not among those countries. Sri Lanka is one of the most closed economies in the world,” he said.
Dr. de Silva said within a few months of becoming President, Sajith Premadasa will invite global brands to the country. The SJB will also take steps to revive the 250,000 micro, small and medium enterprises that have closed down.
Former MP, Mujibur Rahuman said that they chose the location because of significant events that transpired in the area during the 2022 Aragalaya.
“Two people from our party joined Ranil Wickremesinghe in 2022. One of them recently said a bunch of SJB MPs will crossover today. That has not happened,” he said.
Meanwhile, former MP Hirunika Premachandra alleged that the venue they wanted to hold the May Day rally has been given to the National People’s Power (NPP). This is an indication that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has a soft spot for NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, she said.
“We also see that the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) have joined hands. Ranil always had close ties with the Rajapaksas and he destroyed the UNP to ensure that the Rajapaksas could stay in power without a challenge.
Earlier in the day, they held another rally at Nuwara Eliya, which was organised by the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA). Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and Arjuna Ranatunga, former Sri Lanka Cricket Captain and former Minister, were present at the rally.
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
