News
Sumanthiran questions rationale behind raising VAT to 18 % instead of raising withholding tax
By Saman Indrajith
TNA Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran said yesterday that the government had agreed to provide copies of the Technical Assistance Reports compiled by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to Opposition party leaders on request.
Sumanthiran, who was the only member of the Opposition to attend a multi-party discussion with the IMF, on the invitation of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, said that he had accepted the invitation extended by the President to Opposition party leaders.
“I raised some of our concerns. Firstly, the absence of transparency. The IMF provides Technical Assistance Reports to the government. These reports contain analysis on why these recommendations are made. They have so far not been made public. Today, it was agreed that copies would be provided to me and to other Opposition party leaders, too, on request,” Sumanthiran told The Island.
“With this we can see if these recommendations have an analytical basis or not. Upon studying the reports, we can say whether to support the IMF programme or not. We can see at the moment that the IMF programme is not beneficial to the poor of this country.” Sumanthiran said that he had questioned the rationale behind certain revenue-raising measures, such as the decision to increase the VAT to 18% instead of raising the withholding tax rate, which would have had a more immediate impact on revenue generation.
Sumanthiran said that he had highlighted the government’s failure to address 15 prior action items identified in the IMF programme, which were supposed to be completed by February 2024. In response, the government cited discussions with the IMF that resulted in time extensions for these actions,
The main Opposition SJB and the JVP/NPP boycotted the meeting.
Meanwhile in a statement, the President’s Media Division said that during the discussions, Secretary to the Treasury Mahinda Siriwardana had provided insights into the ongoing negotiations with bilateral creditors, commercial creditors, and ISBs, with an optimistic outlook towards completing the process by the end of June this year.
Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weersinghe highlighted the government’s efforts to adhere to the recommendations outlined in the Governor’s diagnostic report, emphasizing the commitment to a structured roadmap for implementation.
President Wickremesinghe affirmed the government’s willingness to make these technical assistance reports available to the members of Parliament and invited Sumanthiran and other Opposition members to attend a meeting and engage with the IMF to further discuss the proposals.
In response, Sumanthiran expressed his readiness to participate constructively in the dialogue, pledging support for constructive measures while highlighting areas that warrant attention and rectification.
Also present at the meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe were Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Leader of the House Susil Premajayantha, State Ministers of Finance Shehan Semasinghe and Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayaka and Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, according to the PMD.
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
