President stresses strict financial discipline and management

President Maithripala Sirisena today stressed that it is the responsibility of the politicians and public officials to pay more attention to the idea of financial discipline and management.

The President pointed out the importance of maintaining strict financial discipline and management in implementing development projects and the importance of fulfilling responsibilities from the very beginning of the year to achieve the annual goals.

Participating in a ceremony to declare open the newly built building complex for the Ministry of Finance, Thursday (31), the President said he has fulfilled his duties and responsibilities in an appropriate manner during the last one year period as the President when it comes to financial discipline and management of the country.

“At present, I have taken steps to cut down the expenditures of the Presidential Secretariat by 60%,” the President said, adding that he has never used charter flights for his foreign tours and he travelled in economy class with a small number of delegates.

SriLankan Airlines incurred a huge loss due to the actions of the leaders of the previous regime, the President said. He also said that he had ended an era where the public funds were wasted.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe, Minister of Finance, Ravi Karunanayake, Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, Rishad Bathiudeen, D.M. Swaminathan, State Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Secretary to the President P.B. Abeykoon, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga and senior officials, participated in the event.