New Chairman For Insurance Corporation?

From The Sunday Leader - By Roving Eye

Employees of the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation have called on the government to appoint its Executive Director Bangsa Jayah as its Chairman and bring back the Corporation under the Finance Ministry.

The UNP affiliated Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (JSS) (Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation branch) claims that unless it is brought back under the Finance Ministry, its progress is diminishing and this will finally lead to privatisation.Secretary JSS (Insurance Corporation Branch), Vipula Ganewatte said  that the present Chairman Hemaka Amarasuriya is not working for the welfare of all employees but only for a certain group which is affiliated to the Rakshana Sevaka Sangamaya headed by MP, Vasudeva Nanayakkara.

“After the UNP’s election victory in August 2015, the  Insurance Corporation which was under the Finance Ministry was given to the  Ministry of Public Enterprise Development which is under Minister Kabir Hashim.

It is six months since this institution came under Minister Kabir Hashim and Deputy Minister Eran Wickremaratne but to date none of them have come to the Corporation nor given any audience to the trade unions.

When this was under the Finance Ministry, Mahinda Rajapaksa and Ravi Karunanayake had given their  time to listen to the grievances of the employees,” Ganewatte said.According to Ganewatte, it is questionable as to why Chairman Amarasuriya is helping out  the Rakshana Sevaka Sangamaya and its members when they are openly working towards the downfall of the institution.It was the Rakshana Sevaka Sangamaya members that worked hard to bring back Mahinda Rajapaksa into power at the last presidential general election. Furthermore, amidst our strong opposition, five hundred thousand rupees were gifted towards the  Dhanasiri Amaratunge Foundation last year.

Why should we give money towards a trust that is controlled by UPFA member and Dehiwela-Mt. Lavinia Mayor Dhanasiri Amaratunge. Why couldn’t the Chairman use this money for the welfare of the Insurance Corporation employees?” Ganewatte queried.

Ganewatte further said how Jayah has helped out most of the Insurance Corporation employees who lost their jobs after Harry Jayawardena bought over the company. No sooner Jayah was appointed to the Insurance Corporation board, he helped out the employees who lost their jobs under Harry Jayawardena.

“That is why we want a person like Jayah to head the Insurance Corporation and uplift its standard as what we expected after the election victory on January 8, 2015 and August 18, 2015 is not happening. Instead the UPFA members are well looked after,” he added.

However Chairman Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation, Hemaka Amarasuriya said he is rendering a service to the employees of the Insurance Corporation but not to any trade union. “I am working for the government of Sri Lanka and have no personal agendas. Those who have personal agendas can level allegations against me but as an experienced administrator with many years of experience I know how to manage the institution and to look after the interests of all employees to the best of my knowledge. I don’t want to work only for one party but to all alike,” Amarasuriya said. When told that the employees are up in arms against his decision to gift five hundred thousand rupees towards Dhanasiri Amaratunge Foundation, Amarasuriya said that he did not have any intention to stop whatever  donations, the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation made over the years.“Why should I stop these after taking over the job? I was entrusted to look after the progress of this company and the employees welfare and not to do politics,” Amarasuriya said.