The Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FCCISL) has sent a letter to the newspaper with reference to the article titled “FCCISL accused of forced retrenchment” which appeared on the front page of the Sunday Times FT on September 13.
It says the article contained inaccurate and misleading information and the correct position is as follows:
a) There has been no “forcible retrenchment” made by Kosala Wickramanayake, President of FCCISL and that the decision to re-structure FCCISL was a decision made by the Board of FCCISL as a whole;
b) The Secretary General of FCCISL, Samantha Abeywickrama was not removed from office but that the Secretary General tendered his resignation on his own accord;
c) The accountant under reference in the said article was not removed from office but that upon the Board becoming aware that she had passed her age of retirement, she was requested to retire in accordance with her contract of employment. As regards the other employees who have reached their age of retirement, the Board has approved the grant of fixed term contracts to such officers, taking into consideration the valuable contributions made by them to FCCISL;
d) There have not been any persistent demands to authorize irregular payments whatsoever made by the President of FCCISL to the previous Secretary General;
e) The absence of the previous Secretary General has not prevented donor funds from being pledged as stated in that article, but that the projects of FCCISL are very much on track and well in progress.
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