Controversial Dr. PBJ bids farewell to Presidential Secretary post

Top Sri Lankan bureaucrat Dr. Punchi Banda Jayasundera popularly known as PBJ stepped down from his high ranking, most powerful Presidential Secretary post on Friday. He had tendered his resignation letter to the President at the end last month dating the date of resignation as January 31. However the President had requested that he leave by January 15 to enable the new appointee Gamini Senerath to take over.

He bade adieu to Presidential Secretariat staff at a simple send-off ceremony on Friday morning extending his sincere thanks to all employees who served under him during his tenure in office, and is probably ending one of the longest-ever terms in office for a Secretary of the Ministry during a tumultuous-period. 

PBJ – always a controversial figure - served as the Secretary of the Treasury and Ministry of Finance on several occasions and one occasion had to step down due to a court order. In 1990, he was seconded to the Treasury (Ministry of Finance) as Economic Advisor.

In 1995 he was appointed as Director General, Department of Fiscal Policy and Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance and from 1997 to 1999 he served as the Deputy Secretary to the Treasury.

He also served as Chairman, Public Enterprises Reform Commission, Senior Policy Advisor, Ernst and Young Sri Lanka and as a Consultant to the IMF and the World Bank. (Bandula)