Business
CIPM to groom professional Reward Management Specialists
Ken Vijayakumar – Vice President, Chairman of People Management Solutions Committee, Course Initiator & Advisory Member – CIPM SL addressing the gathering with the dignitaries at the head table.
CIPM Sri Lanka – the Nation’s leader in human resource management aims to revamp the current landscape for employee reward management by producing specialized human resource professionals with a strong focus and understanding of its practical aspects through the recently announced Certificate Course in Reward Management (CCRM). This programme fulfills a long-felt market need for a professional understanding and approach for implementing customized reward management initiatives in organizations. CIPM organized a webinar to discuss the merits of the programme which was joined by over 60 of its members and HR professionals.
“CIPM is continuously engaging with the industry, examining and researching new areas in which to develop our HR professionals. The CCRM is a result of these endeavors. CIPM is ready to take-up further challenges in the coming years to take the flag to the next level. We always target our relationships with many institutions including private and public sector which will help CIPM in playing a national role in HRM” said Jayantha Amarasinghe-President CIPM Sri Lanka.
“We have hitherto been practicing conventional reward management based on the employment contract which does not help organizations to be competitive. However, a well-structured reward and compensation management initiative can provide much value to organizations with inline focus on its goals and objectives. An organization, in a business-driven articulation of a reward management programme can improve productivity while keeping employees happy and satisfied while grooming them to take on more challenges. Reward management initiatives should be designed and customized for each organization based on scope, fundamentals and value proposition” he added.
Course initiator Ken Vijayakumar-Vice President of CIPM Sri Lanka said “The Certificate Course in Reward Management (CCRM) fulfills a long-felt need in the market and is in-line with ‘HR Centre of Excellence’ concept. While HR specialists in areas such as performance management, learning & development, Industrial/employee relations etc. are available, there is a definite vacuum of HR specialists in the reward management domain. We are launching this programme to groom specialists and grow this important area”.
Presenting the keynote address “From Equality to Equity”, experienced HR professional, former Vice President of HR at NDB Bank and Fellow of CIPM – C. Hewapattini endorsed the CIPM CCRM as an excellent programme which fills a serious lacuna in the HR profession. He added that there needs to be equality and equity when designing and customizing any successful reward management programme while taking into consideration organizational culture, its people etc. to be successful, and that the structure of the CIPM CCRM provides an excellent platform to gain a good understanding of the merits of reward management and how to practically apply it in an organization.
Course director Mrs. Thilini Patabendige- Senior Manager – Rewards, GTS & Asia Pacific at London Stock Exchange Group – Sri Lanka said “CCRM has been designed with the aim of educating HR professionals and organization leaders on the concepts of Total Rewards and Employee Value Proposition helping organizations to attract, motivate and retain the best talent. The CIPM CCRM will provide a technical knowledge including tools, frameworks and practical elements, their implications so that the reward management specialists can use this knowledge in both their day-to-day operational activities as well as strategic aspects of reward management. Each organization is unique and different from one another, and as such there is no one universal ‘right way’ way of implementing a reward management programme” and emphasized that each organization has to design their own unique, customized reward management programme while adhering to global HR best practices.
Business
SIA warns of 1,000 SME collapses, urges fair policies to protect Sri Lanka’s rooftop solar sector
By Sanath Nanayakkare
The Solar Industries Association (SIA), representing over 1,000 companies and employing 40,000 workers in Sri Lanka’s rooftop solar sector, issued a stern warning recently regarding threats to the industry’s survival and the nation’s renewable energy ambitions. The association condemned recent regulatory instability and called for urgent policy reforms to avert economic and social crises.
The SIA categorically rejected the Ceylon Electricity Board’s (CEB) claim that rooftop solar installations caused the recent island-wide power outage, calling the accusation “baseless and misleading.”
“Public trust is eroded when accountability is misdirected,” the SIA stated. “We demand an independent, transparent investigation led by experts appointed by the Ministry or the Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL). The CEB’s unilateral statements disregard the sector’s contributions and jeopardize Sri Lanka’s renewable energy transition,” they said.
“While acknowledging the formation of a tariff determination committee, the SIA criticized its narrow focus on financial parameters, ignoring the sector’s socioeconomic value. Rooftop solar empowers businesses and households with energy independence, reduces grid strain, and supports climate goals. However, proposed volatile tariff structures risk destabilizing over 100,000 installations—primarily owned by middle-class families—and deter future investment,” they noted.
“A rigid, equation-based tariff system is unsustainable,” the association warned. “Sri Lanka needs a stable policy framework to attract long-term investments. For instance, retirees could invest EPF savings into solar projects, securing income while advancing national energy targets. Without urgent action, 1,000 SMEs and 40,000 jobs face collapse, with dire consequences for employment, energy security, and economic stability,” they pointed out.
SIA urged policymakers to establish an independent committee to investigate the power outage fairly, expand the tariff committee’s mandate to include socioeconomic and environmental benefits and implement predictable policies to safeguard SMEs, households, and investor confidence.
“Sri Lanka stands at a crossroads,” the SIA emphasized. “Protecting rooftop solar isn’t just about energy—it’s about livelihoods, economic resilience, and a sustainable future. We urge stakeholders to collaborate on solutions that prioritize both people and progress,: they emphasized.
Starting its promotional work for 2025, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) added another feather into its cap of endorsements, by being recognized as the most innovative Tourism Board promotion in Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) . In parallel to that, several other sub events were held. The OTM was held in Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai—India, from 30th January to 01st February 2025.Before OTM, the Global Village – Global Exchange & Trade Exhibition was held at the Surat International Exhibition & Convention Centre , Sarsana, Surat (Gujarat – India , from 25th to 27th January 2025. This travel fair was organized by Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI).
Sri Lanka participated in both OTM and South Asia’s Travel & Tourism Exchange (SATTE), held from 19th – 21st Feb 2025, in New Delhi, India . This was an excellent opportunity for Sri Lanka to promote it’s potential as a unique travel destination, especially for the Indian counterparts, as SLTPB has identified India as the number one source market for Sri Lanka, tourism bringing the largest number of tourist arrivals to the destination.
SLT-MOBITEL has entered into a strategic partnership with Rush Lanka Group to provide exclusive SLT-MOBITEL Fibre connectivity solutions to their portfolio of luxury apartment developments in Colombo and the suburbs, enhancing the digital experience of all residents.
The agreement was signed between Imantha Wijekoon, Chief Business Officer of Consumer Business at SLT, and Zaid Ariff, Director of Construction at the Rush Group headquarters. Representatives from both companies also attended the ceremony.
Under the partnership, SLT-MOBITEL will serve as the exclusive digital service provider for five prestigious Rush Lanka developments including Street Rush Residencies and Rush Court 4 in Mt. Lavinia, Rush Tower 2, Rush Metropolis in Dehiwala, and Rush Court 5 in Colombo 14. The collaboration ensures residents will enjoy superior fibre connectivity speeds, enabling seamless digital experiences in modern smart homes. The partnership with the Rush Lanka Group aligns with SLT-MOBITEL’s commitment to offer ultra-fast, reliable connectivity solutions to residential developments. Delivering exclusive fibre connectivity to luxury apartments, SLT-MOBITEL ensures residents have access to world-class digital services that complement the living experience promised by Rush Lanka Group.
Powered by advanced fibre technology, SLT-MOBITEL network will provide the residences with seamless performance across digital activities. The SLT-MOBITEL Fibre backbone ensures lag-free experiences whether tenants are gaming online, attending virtual classes, working remotely, or streaming high-definition entertainment. SLT-MOBITEL Fibre will transform the lifestyles of all apartment users bringing greater convenience and superior quality of life.
Rush Lanka Group, established in 1992, is a property developer specializing in luxury and semi-luxury apartments.
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