ECONOMYNEXT – President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his get together threatened to sack him . However outgoing Finance Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena earned appreciation from the identical chief who threatened to oust him after standing for robust reforms.
Siriwardana retired from the submit of Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and Treasury on Wednesday (18). He’s anticipated to take up another director submit in Asian Growth Financial institution (ADB).
President Dissanayake hailed Siriwardena for his exemplary service after working because the Secretary below his ministry for practically 9 months.
Regardless of rhetoric by Dissanayake within the election marketing campaign, he retained Siriwardana below the brand new cupboard after his Nationwide Folks’s Energy (NPP) secured a landslide within the parliamentary elections in November.
“The President notably recommended Mr. Siriwardana’s distinctive dedication and dedication in expertly navigating the nation’s economic system by the transformative interval following the current financial disaster, in the end reaching important financial victories for the nation,” the President’s Media Division (PMD) mentioned in an announcement.
“President Dissanayake expressed his gratitude for Mr. Siriwardana’s invaluable contributions.”
The President said that “younger public officers have a lot to be taught from the distinguished profession of Mr. Mahinda Siriwardana, a senior public servant with in depth expertise and profound understanding.”
The President introduced Siriwardana with a commemorative token in appreciation of his excellent service.
Siriwardana was appointed because the Finance Secretary by former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022 and continued below Rajapaksa’s successor, Ranil Wickremesinghe.
He was instrumental in the important thing negotiations with the Worldwide Financial Fund (IMF) and debt restructuring offers from 2022. He’s additionally concerned within the IMF-led reforms within the island nation.
A central banker by profession, he was criticized by Dissanayake’s NPP citing the Siriwardana was one of many causes for the adversarial impacts of the nation’s financial insurance policies. The NPP vowed to oust him and mentioned it should renegotiate with the IMF and exterior personal bondholders on debt restructuring. (Colombo/July 18/2025)