Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake appointed as Secretary to the President

Dr. Nandika Sanat h Kumanayake was yesterday appointed as the Secretary to the President, the Government Information Department announced. Dr. Kumanayake had previously served as the Deputy Director of Sri Lanka Customs, focusing on research areas such as Corruption and Integrity in Customs, International Trade, and Development Economics. He holds a PhD in Development Economics. Dr. Kumanayake joined the Government service as an Assistant Superintendent of Sri Lanka Customs in 1997. He studied at Rahula College, Matara, and obtained his BSc degree with first-class honours from the University of Kelaniya. After receiving a scholarship from the World Customs Organisation (WCO), he pursued a Master’s in Public Finance at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo, Japan. He was further awarded a university scholarship to complete an MA in Public Economics and a PhD in Development Economics at the GRIPS-Japan. His research focused on the issue of customs corruption, and he has published several papers in international journals. He is now accredited by the WCO as a Customs Modernisation Adviser, specialising in Integrity Development. He has participated in several WCO international delegations to conduct programs in foreign countries aimed at enhancing the integrity of customs systems.