Organization of Professional Associations

Question:

Questions and Answers:

Difference in surname in Birth and Marriage Certificates

My full name (Pensioner) in the Birth Certificate is Weweldeniya Don Simon Dissanayake and in my Marriage Certificate the full name is Weweldeniyage Don Simon Dissanayake.

Due to this difference in the last letter of the surname of mine in the marriage certificate, create an obstacle to my wife to draw her W&O pension after my death?

In almost all my documents such as deeds, identity card in 1971, character certificate, electoral registers etc: before and after my marriage in 1958 I have erroneously given the surname as Weweldeniyage thus is the full name being Weweldeniyage Don Simon Dissanayake.

I came to know this difference in name only after the “Registrar of Persons” informed me through Divisional Secretary and Grama Sevaka to forward an affidavit stating that “I am the one and only person known as Weweldeniyage Don Simon Dissanayake (given in my identity card in use) and Weweldeniya don Simon Dissanayake (given in birth certificate for the purpose of issuing a new identity card in place of the illegible identity card in use. We are old. I am 80+ and my wife is 70+ years.

Under these circumstances, will the Director of Pensions or Director of W&O.P or both accept a similar affidavit by a J.P. as a remedial measure to maintain the given name in my marriage certificate i.e. Weweldeniyage Don Simon Dissanayake intact thus creating a situation for my wife to be paid her W&OP after my death?

And can the Director of Pensions issue me a letter of authority informing me to forward the required affidavit, which could then be filed in my pension file, so that my wife in her 70+ years of age can draw her W&OP Pension without a problem. Your advice is appreciated.

W.D.S. Dissanayake, Dehiwela

Answer: Yes, the Director of Pensions or the Pensions Department will also accept an affidavit by a Justice of the Peace (JP) or an Attorney-at-Law.

You should forward an original affidavit (not a copy) along with a letter giving your pension reference etc. to the Divisional Secretary’s Office where your pension file is being maintained.

It will be either in Dehiwela or at Vajira Road, Colombo 4 which you should know or verify for certain.

To be on the safe side you should leave a copy of that letter with your wife along with another original affidavit (not copy).

This is in case this problem comes up when she goes to claim your pension. Thus in all you require three originals of the affidavit, one of which will be for the Registrar of Persons for your NIC.

Question:

Resignation of Indebted employee

Please give us the date of the “Daily News” in which you recently published an answer, regarding Acceptance of Resignation of an Employee whilst owing a large financial loan to the Company”.

We need to get a paper cutting of your valuable answer, but cannot remember the date of the paper. Please, Sirs let us known the date of the Daily News to enable us to buy a fresh copy of it.

Thank your for valuable service to the society.

M. SENATHIRAJAH, Sunbeam Traders, Wattala.

Answer:

We are unable to trace any answer with the wordings you have indicated or on an identical matter. However, there have been similar circumstances which are not applicable to the case referred to by you as above. We suggest that you forward your specific question so that we can provide you with a suitable answer.

Question:

Gratuity during re-employment

This is with reference to the partial answer in the Daily News of 31.01.08 in reply to my questions forwarded to you on 14.01.2008.

Regarding the three questions raised by you on 31.01.08 the details are as under:

1. Everyday attendance both in an out time is maintained by the Manager Administration.

2. Entitlement of Leave per year is 14 days Annual and 7 days Casual.

3. Monthly pay slips/voucher is issued by the firm you have maintained that I am considered on the term and condition of a normal permanent employee of a firm. If this is the case am I eligible to claim ETF Benefits.

Please clarify the position to me.

M.N. MOVJOOD, Dehiwela.

Answer:

Going by the facts you have stated it appears that you are entitled for gratuity for the 11 1/2 years and whatever period you continue in employment. However the fact you refer to your re-employment as “on temporary basis” creates much doubt about your terms of employment.

Why don’t you check with your employer about their stand on paying you gratuity for your temporary period of service?

This will give you an idea of where you stand. You have not stated whether a deduction is made from your salary towards EPF, if not you should ascertain the reason why.

Even after 60 years if you are employed you are entitled to EPF, ETF and gratuity. Age is no barrier and the fact that you have already claimed EPF & ETF too does not affect this. We suggest you contact the experts, the Labour Department with all the facts to clarify your case.

Question:

Obtaining marriage certificate

I need a copy of my Marriage Certificate. But I don’t remember the date of registration or the name of the Registrar. I only know the year of registration and the district of registration. Please let me know how I should proceed to obtain the certificate.

V. SIVARAJASINGAM, Dehiwela

Answer:

Since you know the District of the Marriage Registration you have to make an application to the office of the Divisional Secretary. If it is Dehiwela it is on Galle Road opposite the Concord Hotel. If it is Colombo then the office is at Vajira Road.

However, you could collect the relevant form from either of these two places and after filling it hand it over or post it to the Divisional Secretary of the District where the marriage was registered. If you had known the exact date the value of stamps to be pasted will be less but since you only know the year you have to paste stamps of higher value being search fee.

The office from where you collect the application form can tell you the value of stamps to be pasted. You have to also forward a self addressed stamped envelope of the size 9”x4”. On handing over the application you will be given a receipt with a reference number.

Science and technology in Sri Lanka

1. Relevance and importance of S & T for National Development

Science and Technology are the bases on which the modern world is built. They are recognized by the industrialized countries and the Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs) as the cornerstones and building blocks for economic and social development of a country.

They are essential pre-requisites for developing countries such as Sri Lanka committed to globalization and the liberal open market economic policies which call for globally competitive high quality products and services. Partners in such activities must be adequately developed to play on a level playing field for achievement and sustenance of mutual benefits.

A headline in and english newspaper of September 22, 2007 reads “Sri Lanka at the bottom of global competitiveness” reporting on the keynote address by Prof. Kapila Jayasinghe on Technology Training for Productivity Enhancement at a workshop in the University of Moratuwa.

Early in 2003, the world renowned economist, Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Consultant to the World Bank which advises the Sri Lankan Government on policies related to economic and social development and globalization, addressing a public meeting in Colombo at the Central Bank stated “One thing I can be sure of is that no country in Sri Lanka’s position has been able to achieve a significant level of economic development without significant investments in operating the science and technology capacity of the population and of the engineers and researchers within the economy.

Without that technological capacity it won’t be possible to attract the kind of foreign direct investment that this island needs, it won’t be able to address the ecological challenges; it won’t be able to achieve other challenges on social development.”

If we fail to provide the aforesaid pre-requisites we will remain consumers and shopkeepers with a wealthy minority and a widening gap between the rich and poor, a situation which can lead to an explosive social eruption. According to a report filed by the Asian Development Bank “The gap between the rich and the poor in Sri Lanka has certainly widened.” To be continued