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SC ruling on economic crisis: Parliament also responsible, says Foreign Minister
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC, yesterday said that Parliament like other institutions should bear responsibility for the unprecedented economic crisis caused during President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s administration.
Minister Sabry said so when The Island sought his response as regards the responsibility of Parliament for the developing situation against the backdrop of the country being bankrupted mainly due to overall mismanagement of the economy.
At the time of the eruption of public protests in early 2022, Minister Sabry served as the Foreign Minister of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government.
Addressing the media at the President’s Media Centre (PMC), the SLPP National List MP dealt with the 2024 Budget presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Finance Minister.
Having compared the period leading to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ouster with the significant improvements made under incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s resolute leadership, the top lawyer explained how successive governments ruined the economy by resorting to utterly irresponsible strategies.
The first time entrant to Parliament, following the last general election held in Aug. 2020, Minister Sabry emphasized how flawed tax strategies over the years caused the economic ruination. The Minister questioned the rationale in 80:20 ratio in indirect and direct taxes when the acceptable radio was 60:40 world over. The Minister went on to highlight the circumstances that led to the drop in revenue to just over 8 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 23% to 25% ahead of 2019/2020 crash.
Asked whether he had been present in the parliamentary chamber when a section of the ruling SLPP went berserk over a statement made by SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa in respect of the landmark Supreme Court judgment on economic crisis and what was his response to such unruly behaviour, the Minister said that he was there.
The SC on Nov 14 in a 4 to 1 verdict declared that former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former Finance Ministers Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa, ex-Governors of the Central Bank Prof. W.D. Lakshman and Ajith Nivad Cabraal, ex-Finance Secretary S.R. Attygalle, Presidential Secretary Dr. P.B.J. Jayasundera and the then Monetary Board were responsible for the economic collapse.
They were directed to pay Rs 150,000 each to those who filed fundamental rights applications.
The Minister emphasized that he never condoned such conduct and he never behaved that way or intended to do so in the future. “That was one side of the issue. We see various interested parties interpret the SC ruling the way they want. I read this judgment entirely. The ruling doesn’t say there had been fraud and money robbed. Funds had been sent overseas and measures should put in place to recover the money. It doesn’t say so. The SC found fault with the respondents for their failure to take timely action to avert the crisis. One specific issue artificial measures to control Rupees. I have pointed this out even last year. The other issue was the tax cut. They were policy decisions. The third issue was the timing of the IMF intervention. The fallout of those decisions should be political.”
The Minister said that there was no harm in prosecuting if there were fraud and robbery. But the Rajapaksas had already taken responsibility for those decisions, Minister Sabry said, pointing out that Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who won a five-year term, had to quit, and the Prime Minister, too, had to go. The entire government had to be handed over. They have to face the people, the Minister said.
“We genuinely believed the government should have sought the IMF intervention at that time, the depreciation of the Rupee should have been allowed to some extent. Perhaps those who decide on policy may have felt they were right,” Minister Sabry, said reminding that Sri Lanka sought IMF interventions on 16 previous occasions.
Minister Sabry insisted that no one would come into politics if those who had been found fault for lapses on their part in respect of policy decisions were dealt with in terms of criminal liability. Reiterating that the fallout should be solely political, the Foreign Minister said, adding that in case someone engaged in fraud, corruption and crime he should bear criminal responsibility.
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
