News
Vote on Second Reading of Budget today: Rebel MPs ratchet up pressure on SLPP
… Govt. confident of mustering majority
by Shamindra Ferdinando
Dissident SLPP MPs yesterday (20) asked the ruling party whether it would back what it called President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s deplorable revenue proposals when Parliament vote on the Second Reading of the Budget is held today (21).
The rebel group said that the move to privatise even the profit-making enterprises, such as Sri Lanka Insurance and SLT and the increase of Value Added Tax (VAT) from 15% to 18 with effect from January 01, 2024 would worsen the economic crisis, rebel spokesperson and former minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said.
Referring to parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa’s criticism of the Budget presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the Finance Minister on Nov 13, the top rebel spokesperson urged key SLPPers not to skip the vote. The former External Affairs Minister said that the SLPP’s stand today would help the public to ascertain the situation on the ground.
At the onset of the briefing, the former top law academic said that the approval for the Budget would entirely depend on the SLPP, the largest single political party in the current Parliament.
The debate on the Second Reading of the Budget that commenced on Nov 14 would be concluded today and the vote on the Second Reading of the Budget held at 6 pm, Prof. Peiris said.
The Committee Stage debate, or the Third Reading debate on the Budget, is scheduled to begin tomorrow (23) and will continue until December 13. The vote on the Third Reading of the 2024 Budget is scheduled to be held on December 13 at 6 pm.
Prof. Peiris insisted that the SLPP couldn’t under any circumstances vote for Wickremesinghe’s Budget as the key proposals were contrary to its policies.
The SLPP voted for Wickremesinghe’s interim Budget for 2023 presented on Sept. 2, 2022, a day after IMF announced it would provide a loan of USD 2.9 bn to be released over a period of four years. Sri Lanka received the first tranche of the loan in Sept 2023. Since then the facility has been suspended.
Of 225 MPs, 115 voted for Wickremesinghe’s interim Budget and two MPs of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) voted against, whereas the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and other political parties, including the JVP, abstained.
Political sources said that though there had been differences between President Wickremesinghe and the SLPP over the non-appointment of more of its members to the Cabinet, the party would definitely back the Budget. Sources pointed out that both State Ministers of Finance were SLPPers, Shehan Semasinghe and Ranjith Siyambalapitiya and there was no question over those serving the Cabinet and the party voting for the Budget. The group included three member MEP parliamentary group consisting of Premier Dinesh Gunawardena, State Minister Sisira Jayakody and National List MP Yadamini Gunawardena.
Sources said that the government was confident of a comfortable victory though attempts were being made to cause turmoil.
SLPP lawmaker Anura Priyadarshana Yapa yesterday told The Island that the country is in such a desperate situation political parties have to sensibly ascertain the situation. “We’ll decide tomorrow of our stand,” the former minister said. Yapa’s group consists of MPs John Seneviratne, Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle and Priyankara Jayaratne.
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
