New team takes over Sri Lanka’s economic future

Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) Chairman P.G. Kumarasinghe Sirisena, brother of former President Maithripala Sirisena, is yet to vacate his post as of Friday though asked to do so in line with other heads of state agencies being asked to step down, while new appointments to the chairs of the Ceylon Electricity Board and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation are yet to be finalised.

In the case of SLT Chairman Sirisena, his son also worked as an engineer, recruited while his father is chairman of SLT.

Most of the top appointments, mainly technocrats, to state agencies however have already been announced. A special committee appointed by President

Gotabaya Rajapaksa has sent in their nominees to these key posts after an elaborate selection process, a committee member said.

While the new Central Bank Governor Prof. W. D. Lakshman is an eminent economist, SriLankan Airlines is headed by Ashok Pathirage, chairman of the conglomerate Softlogic Holdings which engaged in ICT, Healthcare, Retail, Financial Services, Automobiles and Leisure sectors.

Chairman at the Bank of Ceylon is Kanchana Ratwatte, a lawyer who has held positions as Director General of the Telecommunications Re gulatory Commission of Sri Lanka, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Standards Institution and the Ceylon Shipping Corporation among other organisations in his career.

At the People’s Bank, renowned chartered accountant Sujeewa Rajapakse is the chairman. He is also past President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka.

To the key position of chairman of the Board of Investment walks in business professional Susantha Ratnayake, a longtime former chairman and director of conglomerate John Keells Holdings.

At Sri Lanka Tourism, Ms. Kimarli Fernando, a banker by profession who served at Standard Chartered Bank and as a director in other banks, wears the dual mantle of chairperson of the Promotions Bureau and the Development Authority in addition to other positions.

Heading the Export Development Board as chairman is Prabhash Subasinghe, a progressive entrepreneur who is currently Managing Director of GRI ( Global Rubber Industries Ltd.) a manufacturer of high- performance specialty tyres, which sells its products in over 50 countries, in addition to being in the seafood export business.

The National Savings Bank chairperson is Ms. Keshala Jayawardena, a well-known personality in the banking sector with an experience expanding well over a decade as the Chairperson of Kandurata Development Bank and Regional Development Bank.

Major General (Rtd.) G. A. Chandrasiri has been appointed Chairman of the Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka).

At the Sri Lanka Tea Board, a tea industry professional, Jayampathy Molligoda wears the top hat as chairman.

Mr. Molligoda has been serving as Deputy Chairman of Bogawantalawa Tea Estates PLC since 2016 and prior to that he served as its Director/ CEO. In addition, he served as Chairman, Independent Audit Committee of Finlay TeasHapugastenne Plantations PLC/Udapussellawa Plantations PLC, during the period 2004 to 2015.

At the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, former Army Commander Daya Ratnayake has been appointed as its chairman.

For the first time a woman has been appointed as chairperson of the Development Lotteries Board. Veteran banker and former General Manager of Bank of Ceylon, M.A. Nalini has been appointed as the chairperson.

Attorney-at-Law Athula Priyadharshana De Silva has been appointed as the Chairman of Lanka Electricity Company.

Nushad Perera, a long-time official at Dialog Axiata, has been appointed as the Chairman of Lanka Sathosa.