Saturday Dec 14, 2024
Saturday Dec 14, 2024
Saturday, 15 August 2020 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Chandani Kirinde
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will present the new Government’s Policy Statement at a ceremonial sitting of the first session of the ninth Parliament on Thursday afternoon, the same day the newly-elected MPs will be sworn in. Parliament will meet at 9:30 a.m. on 20 August where the new Speaker will be appointed first, following which the MPs will take their oaths before him. His appointment was reported exclusively in the Daily FT on Monday 10 August. The Speaker will be sworn in by Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake in keeping with the Standing Orders of the House. Sittings will be suspended after this and will resume at 3 p.m. when the President will deliver the Statement of Government’s Policy as provided by Article 33(2) of the Constitution.
Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s name has been confirmed for the post of Speaker by the Government, the Daily FT learns. He is likely to get the unanimous backing of the House.
The ceremonial sitting at which the President will address the House will be low key with the SG receiving him upon arrival at the Parliament building, followed by the hoisting of the Presidential Flag.
The President will deliver the Policy Statement from the Speaker’s Chair as has been the practice.
Meanwhile, more than 175 newly-elected Parliamentarians have submitted their personal details to the Parliament Secretariat through the ‘Online Registration System’ introduced two weeks ago.
S.G. Dasanayake said Parliament officials hoped to complete the registration process by today (15 August).
Govt. resumes 150,000 employment program
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has decided to recommence the program to provide employment opportunities to 150,000 persons that was halted due to the General Election, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said yesterday.
The number of unemployed graduates to be recruited is 50,000. For the remaining 100,000 jobs, candidates will be selected from families of the lowest strata of income earners in the society, the PMD statement said.
The program to employ 50,000 graduates and 100,000 low-income earners was formulated within weeks of President Rajapaksa’s assuming office in November last year.
Shortlisting suitable candidates from applications received from graduates commenced in the first week of February. A Multi-Purpose Development Task Force was established to recruit 100,000 low-income earners. The objective of the program is to transform Sri Lanka into a country free from poverty as per the ‘Saubhagyaye Dekma’ policy statement of the President.
The relevant list of graduates eligible for employment will be published on the official website of the Ministry of Public Services, Provincial Councils and Local Government on next Monday (17 August).
The respective Ministry will commence sending letters of appointment to those who got selected immediately. Appointed candidates should report to their nearest Divisional Secretariat on 2 September.
The program to provide employment to 100,000 poorest of the poor will be implemented by the Task Force established solely for this purpose from 2 September.
The Election Commission Chairman directed to suspend the program to offer jobs for 150,000 unemployed persons following the announcement of the General Election 2020. Accordingly, the program was suspended. Immediately after the conclusion of the General election on 5 August, President Rajapaksa took measures to establish the Cabinet and other State Ministerial appointments.
The Prime Minister of the new Government took oaths last Sunday. The Secretary to the Prime Minister was appointed on the following day. A week after the election, namely on 12 August, both Cabinet Ministers and State Ministers were sworn in. Secretaries to the Ministries were appointed on the following day (13 August).
The inaugural Parliamentary session will ceremonially commence next Thursday (20 August). Following the formal establishment of the administration, the President has decided to implement the program of providing 150,000 employment opportunities without any delay.
