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SJB will support Govt to restructure the loss-making State institutions – Eran
Main opposition SJB parliamentarian Eran Wickramaratne says that restructuring of government institutions which are running at losses is an imperative task for the development of the country.Addressing a media conference held at the Opposition Leader’s office in Colombo, the MP said that the country has been economically ruined as a result of the government following wrong policies one after the other claiming to follow socialism, liberalism and neoliberal policies.
“Not only has the country not received international support due to its failure to maintain the macroeconomic fundamentals, but the opportunities available to the people of this country to have the people to people relations internationally are also shrinking,” Wickramaratne said.
He said it has been reported that in the first four months of 2022, the losses from 52 government institutions (SoEs) are Rs 560 billion, and the Lotus Tower is full of Chinese debt without any return.
“The question that arises from these published reports is whether the government institutions of this country are run for the people, or for the maintenance of a small group of employees,” he said.
“Governments have had to raise taxes to sustain loss-making institutions and cover their losses. Such loss-making institutions should not be maintained like this. It is time to restructure many government institutions in the country without false pretenses. A situation has arisen where even an airline which has internationally competitive market cannot be maintained in our country today, so they should be quickly restructured and burdening the people with taxes to maintain these SoEs should be stopped.”
Based on the importance of practicality rather than theory in governing a country, the good governance government introduced a price formula to maintain the oil price locally compared to its international price. This government ridiculed it then as the opposition, but now it talks about a price formula and sets the price accordingly, Wickramaratne pointed out.
Analyzing the sufferings of the people due to the government’s policy of controlling commodity prices, the MP said this government threw away the fuel price formula introduced by the good governance government. In order to be popular, by giving petrol worth Rs 400 per liter for Rs. 200, the poor man got an advantage of Rs 2000 when he bought eight liters of petrol for his three-wheeler. But when a rich man bought 40 liters of fuel for his vehicle, he got an advantage of Rs. 16,000. He accused that the country has been plunged in to the bottom of the economy due to such deceptive work.
“The Pohottu government, which followed such a short-sighted and wrong governance, is accompanied by academics and those academics have not managed even a shop, have not made a product, have no experience of being engaged in a service. The economic theories of some of those scholars, who were not engaged in any activity that generates a single rupee of income, have not helped the country.”
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
