PM is Finance Minister

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was yesterday sworn in as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stability and National Policies by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

In an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, Wickremesinghe laid out his immediate plans for the economy, including presenting an interim budget within six weeks that will slash Government expenditure “to the bone” and re-route funds into a two-year relief program.

Reactions to the appointment were mixed with some insisting the Premier given the immediate challenges may not be able to spend adequate time whilst others noted in the absence of no-takers or their reluctance, Wickremesinghe was the best choice.