…  asks House to rectify fundamental blunder

by Shamindra Ferdinando

Lawmaker Gevindu Cumaratunga, on behalf of the Uththara Lanka Sabhagaya (ULS), has requested the Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) Dr. Harsha De Silva to propose fundamental change to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Act (No 16 of 2023) by including Secretary to the Finance Ministry/Treasury Secretary in the decision-making Governing Board (GB) of the Central Bank.

The Governing Board consists of Dr. P Nandalal Weerasinghe (Chairman), A N Fonseka, Dr. Ravi Ratnayake, Anushka S Wijesinha, Vish Govindasamy, Rajeev Amarasuriya and Manil Jayesinghe.

The SLPP National List MP has, in a letter dated March 07, 2024, addressed to de Silva, said that the controversial salary increase granted by the GB with effect from January 1, 2024, should be examined against the backdrop of the Finance Ministry Secretary not being a member of that decision-making body.

The leader of the Yuthukama civil society group said that the Finance Ministry Secretary had been a member of the five-member Monetary Board (MB) that dealt with salary increases in terms of the Monetary Law Act that was in force since 1950 until the enactment of the 2023 law in response to the deterioration of the national economy to such an extent the country halted paying debt.

The MB comprised Central Bank Governor as its Chairman, Finance Secretary both ex-officio members and three appointed members.

Declaring that leaving Finance Secretary out of the decision-making process a fundamental and catastrophic change in the new law that governed the Central Bank, MP Cumaratunga said that the common stand taken by Central Bank Governor Dr. Weerasinghe and CoPF Chairman Dr. de Silva that the salary increases were always decided by then MB on its own was not acceptable.

In terms of the new law, the GB is tasked with overseeing the administration, management and determination of general policies.

MP Cumaratunga said that the inclusion of the Finance Secretary in the MB made a huge difference as he couldn’t have ignored under any circumstances the salary structures of other categories of public sector employees when deciding on increments to Central Bank employees.

Parliament passed the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Act (No 16 of 2023) in July last year. Of 225 MPs, only 66 voted for the new law whereas 24 voted against. MP Cumaratunga said that he was among those who voted against the new law.

Pointing out President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Finance Minister, asked the CoPF Chairman to submit a report on the Central Bank salary issue, MP Cumaratunga said that he expected the House Committee to recommend the inclusion of the Finance Secretary.

The Island sought an explanation from MP Cumaratunga what he expected to achieve by his proposal as the current Finance Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena as a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, too, received the disputed salary increase. MP Cumaratunga said that if the Finance Secretary also served on the GB, he would have to explain how he agreed with the rest of the board while repeatedly demanding curbs on state sector expenditure. The MP pointed out that just a year ago Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government indefinitely put off Local Government polls claiming that it couldn’t afford to allocate funds for the conducting of the election. MP Cumaratunga said that at the end, the Finance Secretary, in his capacity as Deputy Governor now entitled for Rs 1.7 mn monthly salary.

Referring to recent statements made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, at an event held at the BMICH on March 03, regarding the enactment of 42 new laws within 14 months since his election lawmaker Cumaratunga said that such boasts seemed absurd when the whole law-making process was in deepening turmoil.

The MP pointed out that the continuing controversy over the enactment of the Online Safety law that ultimately was taken up even at the ongoing 55th session of the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) underscored the gravity of the developing situation.

The President owed an explanation how Parliament enacted that law disregarding specific recommendations made by the Supreme Court to make it compatible with the Constitution.

MP Cumaratunga said that Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC, recently declared that a new law was required to ensure that no one operated outside the Constitution. Pointing out that this declaration was made in the wake of the Central Bank salary issue, MP Cumaratunga emphasised that the country was paying a very heavy price for irresponsible approach towards the enactment of new laws.