State banking system must be kept strong: Prime Minister

Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said that the State banking system should be kept strong.

The Prime Minister made this observation during a lengthy discussion with officials of the Progressive Bank Employees Union at the Prime Minister’s Office.

The meeting was held to strengthen the State banking sector in the face of current challenges and to find solutions to the problems of the employees.

Members of the Progressive Bank Employees Union expressed appreciation to the Prime Minister for returning the pension of the officers of People’s Bank, Bank of Ceylon and National Savings Bank, which had been suspended since 1996, as President in 2014. 

The Prime Minister focusing on resolving the continuing problems of pensions, said as the Minister of Finance, he would take steps in the future to resolve the existing problems in the state banks. Minister S.M. Chandrasena, State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister Chaminda Kularatne, Coordinating Secretary to the Prime Minister Jayantha Ratnayake, Progressive Bank Employees Union Chairman Nishantha Samarasinghe and Chief Secretary A.K. Bandara were also present.