ECONOMYNEXT — Sri Lanka’s new government has defended its decision to retain the services of two key public officials instrumental to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme despite the ruling party’s recent criticisms of them.
Responding to questions from journalists at the first ever cabinet press briefing of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration, cabinet spokesman Vijitha Herath said Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe and Finance Ministry Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana are currently engaged in matters pertaining to the IMF programme.
Herath was asked if the Dissanayake administration retained the services of the two officials because it has now accepted that decisions taken by them during the previous government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe were correct.
The new cabinet spokesman explained that the government does not wish to take any decisions that might disrupt the state machinery during what he described as a period of transition until the parliamentary elections that’s scheduled to be held on November 14.
“This is a transitionary period. It is an interim period between the election of the president and the election of a new government. We have assessed how we should act during an interim period. We don’t wish to change everything and disrupt the state machinery,” he said.
“A lot of people wanted us to mess it up. But we’re not like that; we do these things with clarity and systematically. We have shrunk 28 ministries to a few. Some secretaries vacated those posts, some were retained. We didn’t go for a total reshuffle. Most secretaries are still the same.”
Referring to allegations levelled at ministry secretaries and other senior government officials, Herath said no decisions haven’t been taken on taking legal action against such officials during the interim period.
“We haven’t decided not to do it either, however,” he cautioned.
“But during this interim period, we will not fully pursue allegations levelled at public officials unless where essential. In the future, we will take decisions without hesitation,” he added.
Herath noted that the finance ministry secretary and the central bank governor are engaged in matters pertaining to the IMF.
“Those activities can be disrupted if certain decisions are made. In any case, the central bank is now an independent institute, and the governor is appointed through a different system,”he said. (Colombo/Oct01/2024)