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SJB alleges Kanchana did away with 1% royalty on Sinopec, etc., to settle loans, passed debt burden on to consumers
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) trade unionist Ananda Palitha yesterday (15) said that Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera had abolished a Cabinet decision to impose 1% royalty on a month’s sales imposed on new entrants to the market China’s Sinopec, Australia’s United Petroleum and RM Parks of the USA. That was to be exclusively used to settle what the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) owed its creditors, Palitha said.
However, having done away with 1% royalty on a request made by Sinopec, the debt burden had been conveniently passed on to consumers, the former UNP trade union activist said. United Petroleum and RM Parks are yet to launch operations here.
Palitha thanked Minister Wijesekera for publicly acknowledging that consumers of petrol and diesel have been made to pay Rs 50 per litre since the middle of last year to settle what the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) owed its creditors.
Minister Wijesekera said this when Chamuditha Samarawickrema raised the issue on the ‘Salakuna’ live political programme on Hiru TV recently.
Palitha said that a litre of petrol 92 cost Rs. 366, Octane 95 Rs. 464, Auto Diesel Rs. 358 and Super Diesel Rs. 475 because the CPC passed its debt on to consumers. A litre of Kerosene is sold at Rs. 236.
Minister Wijesekera owed an explanation why he changed the agreement in favour of the companies, thereby heaping further burden on the hapless public. Responding to another query, the trade union leader emphasized instead of compelling consumers to pay an additional Rs 50 per litre the government should have extended the 1 % royalty to CPC and Lanka IOC as well.
Palitha said that the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government repeatedly assured consumers the entry of new suppliers would pave the way for quality products at an affordable price but the powers that be went to the extent of changing the original agreement to appease the Chinese.
Referring to Minister Wijesekera’s disclosure that USD 5 mn was being paid to Iran as Sri Lanka owed Teheran USD 240 mn for light crude purchases made two decades ago, Palitha said that during President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s tenure the CPC paid USD 35 mn for 90,000 mt of Iranian light crude. Alleging that deal had been conducted under controversial circumstances, at a time Teheran was under Western sanctions, Palitha said that though the payment was made at the time, the country did not receive the promised delivery of crude oil.
Palitha said that Iran never returned that money. Cash-strapped Sri Lanka should take up this issue with Iran, a friendly country always supportive of Sri Lanka, Palitha said, alleging that successive governments never made an attempt to recover USD 35 mn.
The trade union leader pointed out that the CPC should recover as much Rs 169 bn owed by several government institutions instead of fleecing the consumers. Of that amount, national carrier SriLankan alone owed Rs 110 bn in USD terms, Palitha said, urging the Cabinet-of-Ministers and the relevant Parliament watchdog committees to look into the matter.
Several years ago, consumers were made to pay Rs 1 per litre of petrol and diesel to settle CPC’s debt. One billion rupees had been allocated for that purpose regardless of the total amount collected, Palitha said. Now that amount had been raised to Rs 50 per litre of petrol and diesel, he added
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
