PB counting his days?
Sri Lanka’s most powerful bureaucrat, Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, on Wednesday made several references to his tenure in public service and even inferred it might not be long before he leaves – which would then be for the third time.
The Treasury Secretary quit his post once before on a ruling by the Supreme Court in the LMS privatisation case some years back but was re-appointed. His record tenure as Treasury Secretary was also broken briefly when Charitha Ratwatte held this post during the UNP administration in 2002-04.
The top bureaucrat noted that this was his 40th year in public office. He said that work would be carried out the way it should according to the changing climate “in the next few months and days I am in the public service …” He made this observation at least twice when he addressed the apparel industry’s AGM’s post business session lecture at the Waters’ Edge. In fact he also made reference to anyone who might take over from him and how the work would be carried out. Dr. Jayasundera on a lighter vein said during his speech that even a “film star” could be at the helm of the apparel industry running the affairs of the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF).
Film stars were a hot topic these days in view of a number of them clamouring for nominations in the upcoming provincial council elections.