Financial Times

Top officials step down
By Duruthu Edirimuni
Many senior officials of key corporations and ministries appointed by the former regime have stepped down, paving the path for fresh appointments under the new government. Board of Investment (BOI) Chairman Arjunna Mahendran has been replaced by Lalith de Mel, who is also said to be heading a government think-tank discussing policy issues on a range of sectors concerning the private sector. Chairman of the Public Enterprise Reforms Commission (PERC) and Bank of Ceylon Chrisantha Perera has resigned and a new appointee is yet to be announced. People's Bank Chairman Lal Nanayakkara has also quit.

Charitha Ratwatte, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance had not resigned up to Friday, according to an official at his office. Bradman Weerakoon, Secretary to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, has resigned as has K.H.J. Wijedasa, Chairman, Inter-ministerial Food Committee. There was no word on R. Paskaralingam, the controversial former bureaucrat who was an advisor to the prime minister.

CWE chairman Lal Wickramatunge told The Sunday Times FT that he resigned two days before the election. A new appointee is yet to be named. Dinesh Weerakkody, Chairman of the Employees Trust Fund (ETF) has also left his post.

There was no indication about the position of Ratna Sivaratnam who has completed two years of his three-year appointment as the Chairman of Export Development Board. Shibly Aziz, Chairman, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has relinquished his post and a new Chairman is yet to be appointed. Daya Pelpola, Chairman, Sri Lankan Airlines has also quit and Hemasiri Fernando, Chairman Airports and Aviation Services Ltd (AASL), is expected to send in his resignation.

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