The Kandy News Online Edition
July / August 2005
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Tharuna Aruna Jobs For Unemployed Graduates

Tharuna Aruna (TA) II has launched a program to assist unemployed Sri Lankan university graduates who are under 35 years of age, to get additional skills training and get employment in the private sector. The program is an initiative of the Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational and Technical Education. It is funded by the World Bank and the Ministry. The Central Province Women's Chamber of Small Industries & Commerce situated at 25 A, George E de Silva Mawatha, Kandy (near the Dodanwela Tunnel) has been selected to implement the program in the Central Province which includes Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya Districts.

The primary goal of the TA II program is to re-orient unemployed graduates' career aspirations towards the private sector. This program aims to provide one year of training and placement for 10,000 unemployed graduates during the project period of 5 years. Private sector organizations including Non Governmental Organizations, International NGOs and selected Commercial Public Enterprises approved by the World Bank known as Work Experience Providers (WEPs), will provide placements for the graduates.

During the placement period of twelve months the trainees will receive a minimum payment of Rs.6,000/- per month. WEP will pay a minimum of Rs. 2,000/- and the TA II will contribute a sum of Rs. 4,000/- . Each graduate is also allocated a sum of Rs. 35,000/- towards training in IT, English Language skills or any other relevant courses during this period.

Unemployed graduates and prospective Work Experience Providers can now register for this program at the Central Province Women's Chamber of Small Industries & Commerce Tel: (081)-222-8830.

The General Manager of Hotel Tree of Life Timothy Paldano was unanimously elected as president of the Kandy Hoteliers Association for the new fiscal year. He succeeds the General Manger of The Citadel Hotel Mr. Iqbal Jaleel who held the position for two consecutive years and will leave the country shortly to take over the management of a top John Keels group hotel in the Maldives. Mr. Paldano is assuming the presidency of the association for the second time having held that position in 2001 and 2002 as well. Addressing the members after his election Mr. Paldano promised to launch a program of work especially to upgrade the human resources of the Kandy hotel industry. The following are the other key office bearers of the Association: Vice Presidents Raju Weerasingham and Sarath de Alwis; Secretary Chamin Wickremasinghe; Treasurer Rodney Armstrong; and Training Coordinator - Stanley Gunaratne.

Seated from left: Mr. Stanley Gooneatne Genera Manager Hotel Hill Club, Mr. Gamini Senanayake Manager Hotel Suisse, Mr. Sarath de Alwis Manager Hotel Topaz / the Tourmaline, Mr. Iqbal Jeleel Genera Manager The Citadel, Mr. Timthy Paldano Asst. General Manager Hotel Tree of Life, Mr. Roshan Perea Genaral Manager Earl's Regency Hotel, Mr. Cyril Perera Genera Manager Hotel Hill Top Standing from left: Mr. Emil Perera Manager Hotel Thilanka, Mr. Niaz Moharoof Manager Helga's Folly, Mr. Chamin Wickramasinghe General Manager Hunasfalls, Mr. Athula Mallikarachchi General Manager Hotel Swiss Residence, Mr. Upul Lewkebandara Manager Le Kandyan Hotel.

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Rs 19 Million Fraud in Kandy Water Project

A fraud amounting Rs 19m is suspected in the import of equipment and spare parts for the Kandy Water Supply Scheme water pumping and purification plant in Gatambe. A part of a loan from the Asian Development Bank has been made available to fund the imports. The JVP municipal councilor Mr. Anura Gonawela was the first to draw attention to the alleged fraud when he made a statement to that effect at the last monthly meeting of the Kandy Municipal Council (KMC). Mr. Gonawela claimed that his suspicion was first aroused by the fact that the so called new imported parts were wrapped with paper from discarded cement bags.

Mayor Kesara Senanayaka responding to Mr. Gonawela's complaint ordered a team of officials headed by the Kandy Municipal Commissioner Mrs. K M A Meegasmulla to immediately investigate the allegation. The investigation revealed that there was sufficient prima facie evidence for the police to further probe the allegation. The Kandy News reliably learns that the investigating team could not find any systematic documentary evidence for the purchase order. However, a project engineer had collected data on the type of spare parts needed. The project director had then placed an order with a supplier in Kelaniya to import nineteen distinct items from England. The initial investigation revealed that there were serious discrepancies between what was stated in the invoice and what was actually supplied. Some items that were purported to be supplied by the English manufacturer appeared to be cheap substitutes.

Mayor Senanayaka told The Kandy News that the case has been handed over to the police fraud investigation unit.

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KMC Car Park Subsidized With General Revenue

The new multi-storey car park of the Kandy Municipal Council (KMC) ceremonially opened on June 7th 2005, may well end up as a white elephant taxing the ratepayers of the city. The KMC must pay Rs 13.5m per year to service the loan that it got from the Asian Development Bank to construct the car park. It is estimated that an additional Rs 7.0m is required annually to meet the bills for security, electricity, cleaning, and water. Thus the total annual cost of running the car park would exceed Rs 20m.

The KMC finance committee decided to call for tenders to hand over the running of the car park to the private sector. According to reliable KMC sources, ten bids were submitted and these were evaluated for technical competence and the amount offered. Property Finance and Investment Kandy (Private) Ltd owned by property developer Mr. Thusitha Wijesena offering an annual rental of Rs 34.1m came first in the evaluation that a technical evaluation committee did on behalf of the KMC. However, the KMC Finance Committee at its June 2005 meeting voted eleven to seven with five abstentions to rescind its May 2005 decision to hand over the car park to the private sector. Instead the Council has decided to run the car park under its own management.

KMC sources critical of this decision claim that those who voted against privatization did so because the tender would not go to their own favourites. It is also pointed out that the June KMC decision was in violation of a commitment made in the original project proposal for the car park that explicitly stated that the management of the car park would be given to the private sector. There is also serious doubt whether the KMC would be able to collect the parking fees effectively. For example, under private management of parking in Colombo Street, the monthly revenue of the municipal council has risen to Rs 150,000 from the Rs 25,000 that the KMC collected when its staff managed parking. If the KMC fails to at least breakeven, critics note, the multitude of ratepayers would end up paying the bill for the privileged few to enjoy a modern car park.

Meanwhile the Kandy shopkeepers are protesting to the KMC that the car park has adversely affected their business.