News
SLPP concerned about revenue proposals but won’t rock the boat
Final vote on Budget 2024 today:
Namal R. to skip vote
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) on Monday (11) decided to vote for the Third Reading of the Appropriation Bill (2024) today (13).
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Premier Gunawardena, who is also the leader of the MEP. Gunawardena emphasised the responsibility on the SLPP to thwart Opposition’s attempts to dislodge the government ahead of the releasing of the second tranche of the USD 2.9 bn IMF bailout.
The warning was issued at a group meeting at the Committee Room 01. SLPP leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga and Leader of the House Susil Premjayantha were present at the meeting held before the commencement of the day’s proceedings. State Finance Ministers Ranjith Siyambalapitiya and Shehan Semasinghe, too, attended the meeting.
Political sources said that Premier Gunawardena had explained the need to foil Opposition plans after Rear Admiral (retd.) Sarath Weerasekera strongly criticised increase of the Value-Added Tax (VAT) from 15% to 18% and imposition of VAT on 97 out of the 138 goods that were previously exempted from the tax. The MEP group in Parliament consists of three lawmakers, including the Premier.
In response to The Island query, SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam said that the party would vote yes at the final vote though it didn’t agree with revenue proposals 100%. Attorney-at-Law Kariyawasam said that defeating of the 2024 Budget would cause economic and political chaos.
The SLPP announced the controversial decision as the party prepared to hold its second convention on Friday, December 15, at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium.
During the group meeting at Committee Room 1, former Public Security Minister Weerasekera pointed out the failure on the part of successive governments to collect taxes, penalties and interest amounting to Rs 943 bn as disclosed recently by the relevant parliamentary watchdog.
Expressing serious concern over major taxpayers’ taking advantage of the legal process to hold up the entire process, lawmaker Weerasekera pointed out as much as Rs 35 bn in VAT hadn’t been paid to the government. The Colombo District MP also questioned the failure on the part of the relevant authorities to collect VAT received by traders and staggering Rs 55 billion dud cheques issued to the government.
MP Weerasekera said that instead of going flat out to collect money owed to the government, taxes had been raised, new taxes introduced and the VAT imposed on items that were previously exempted from it. The ex-Minister stressed that the government strategy was not fair to the people struggling to make ends meet as imposition of further indirect taxes could be quite devastating.
The Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill for the year 2024 was passed in the Parliament on Nov 21 by a majority of 45 votes. Altogether 122 MPs voted for the Bill and 77 voted against it.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Finance Minister presented the budget on Nov 13.
Political sources said that the UNP and SLPP at the highest level agreed in principle that they would work together, regardless of differences. SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa, having skipped the vote on VAT on Monday, was most likely to refrain from voting today, sources said, adding that there was consensus between the two sides that the current alliance should remain.
The SLPP elected UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe in July last year to complete the remainder of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s five-year term.
The next presidential election has to be conducted and a new president elected by Nov 2024.
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
