Private sector leaders to advise President-chaired Economic Council

• President appoints 16-member Committee to advice Ministerial and officials comprising Council he set up on 8 March
• Committee members include economists and members of the business community

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed 16-members to advise the Economic Council which he chairs and set up on 8 March, Cabinet co-spokesperson Plantations Minister Ramesh Pathirana said yesterday.

The members of the Advisory Committee are; Department of Business Economics Faculty of Management and Finance University of Colombo Prof. H.P. Karunaratne, Department of Economics University of Sri Jayewardenepura Prof. Shirantha Heenkenda,  Institute of Policy Studies Executive Director Dr. Dushni Weerakoon, business leaders Dammika Perera, Ashroff Omar, Krishan Balendra,  Ashok Pathirage, Mohan Pandithage, Dr. Hans Wijesuriya, Vish Govindasamy, S. Renganathan, Ranjit Page, Prabhash Subasinghe, Duminda Hulangamuwa and Sujeewa Mudalige and Export Development Board Chairman Suresh de Mel.

This Committee will advise the 11-member Economic Council he appointed on 8 March. The members of the Council are Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Ministers Basil Rajapaksa, Bandula Gunawardena, Johnston Fernando, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Secretary to the President Gamini Senarath, Secretary to the Treasury S.R. Attygalle, and Central Bank Deputy Governor Dhammika Nanayakkara.

This Economic Council is tasked with coordinating policymaking in response to changes in the global economy, providing relevant advice to Ministries Departments, and Statutory Institutions, and guidance on behalf of the Government.