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Twinning Colombo Port City with City of Las Vegas initiated
The Sri Lanka-America Chamber of Commerce (SLACCOM), America’s nationally founded conduit for the promotion of trade, commerce and investment between Sri Lanka and the US, initiated the twinning of Colombo Port City and the City of Las Vegas, latter the global convention capital, to the delight of Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment (BOI) chairman Raja Edirisuriya, in a productive dialogue he had with the Chamber.
In mid-January, the two-hour discussion on promoting investment, trade and commerce between the two nations, and most importantly the proposal to twin the two cities envisaging enhancing economic corporation, between Edirisuriya and the representatives of the SLACCOM, its president Sanje Sedara, Deputy President, Aruna Abayakoon and directors Douglas Perera and Daya Gamage took a positive turn when the BOI chief expressed his support and undertook to get Sri Lanka government’s serious concern to a range of proposals which emanated from the Chamber, SLACCOM spokesperson said.
During the dialogue – held in the United States – between the Chamber and the BOI Chief, it was disclosed that attracting conventions to Colombo Port City can be tied in to the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority which will act as a strategic partner to cross market conventions for Sri Lanka. Las Vegas has links with all the major cities and municipalities worldwide: resulting in countless cross-cultural business and education opportunities.
During the discourse between the Chamber and BOI Chief Edirisooriya, what emerged was that many of the new companies which are moving to Las Vegas are tech related and that Sri Lanka and Colombo Port City could get the necessary visibility by aligning with these companies. Colombo Port City will also have an opportunity to attract the US based tech companies to invest in Colombo Port City by expanding the economic zones by offering its quality work force and various tax incentives, it was disclosed.
In early January, three officials of the SLACCOM – deputy president Aruna Abayakoon, directors Douglas Perera and Lalindra Wickremaratne – were in Colombo meeting the officials of the BOI, one of whom was Executive Director Prasanjith Wijayatileke, and Export Development Board (EDB) Chairman Suresh de Mel to discuss trade, commerce and investment using the City of Las Vegas, the global convention capital and the all-year meeting venue of economic activists from far-away lands.
The discussions at Colombo meetings were made available to BOI Chief, Edirisoriya when Sri Lanka-America Chamber of Commerce officials had discussions with him in the United States.
The Sri Lanka-America Chamber of Commerce three-member delegation that met BOI Executive Director Prasanjith Wijayatilake in Colombo apprised that with more than 10.5 million square feet of convention and meeting space, Las Vegas hosts nearly 60 of the 200 largest conventions and 20,000 meetings annually. 49.5 million people visited Las Vegas in 2019 , according to the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority. For the 11 months of 2021, visitor volume is at 29.23 million, a 64.3 percent increase over 2020 but 25.2 percent below pre-pandemic 2019.
During the Chamber officials’ discourse with EDB Chairman Suresh de Mel in Colombo trade shows (Las Vegas being a trade convention capital), explore opportunities in trade shows that EDB does not participate and support with resources, finding markets for a multitude of Sri Lanka’s export products such as Agri, hand crafts, IT solutions, wellness tourism, fisheries among others were raised.
The SLACCOM, whose professionals a drawn from every productive sector and regions in the United States, decided to base its functions in the City of Las Vegas in the State of Nevada as the city – for decades – developed its infrastructure to host global conventions and attract trade and commerce leaders year round.
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
