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SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva
Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena
CBSL former Governor Nivard Cabraal
Main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Harsha de Silva yesterday slammed former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivaard Cabraal for his attempts to blame the current Secretary to the Treasury Mahinda Siriwardana for the country’s dire economic situation.
De Silva was alluding to statements made by Cabraal recently during his appearance before the Parliamentary Select Committee to Investigate Causes for Financial Bankruptcy.
Briefing journalists yesterday, MP de Silva said it is unfortunate that Siriwardana was later forced to file a complaint with both the police and the Ministry of Defence, citing threats to his life and the safety of his family as a consequence of these allegations.
“This incident should never have occurred,” the MP remarked, emphasising that the Opposition fully supports Siriwardana. “At no point should Mahinda Siriwardana or any other officials bear the blame for a country that has been ravaged by politicians. We strongly condemn this act,” he emphasised.
“State employees are not meant to be involved in political activities. Siriwardana is a seasoned professional with years of experience, having served at the CBSL and currently holding the position of Secretary to the Treasury,” he added.
De Silva accused Cabraal of blaming the country’s bankruptcy on the CBSL Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe and Siriwardana. The MP said Cabraal was attempting to shift the blame to officials by using Parliamentary committees.
“This is unjust. They are trying to whitewash the leaders who played a role in this crisis by using a Parliamentary committee. There is no mention of Gotabaya Rajapaksa's detrimental tax policies or the fertiliser ban. Instead, they are accusing Siriwardana and Weerasinghe of conspiring,” he asserted.
The MP said the SJB will bring this issue to the notice of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“The IMF is fully aware of the reasons behind Sri Lanka's declaration of bankruptcy. It had no connection to Mahinda Siriwardana. Asserting that Sri Lanka had $ 3 billion in reserves and a specific interest payment due on a particular date was not made due to a conspiracy is unacceptable. The IMF explicitly informed us that, having collaborated with numerous countries, they had never encountered a nation that reached the brink of bankruptcy before seeking their assistance. This was a nation whose reserves had been completely depleted at the time. Such irresponsibility was unprecedented,” he remarked.
“Are we going to condone this absurdity? This is simply unacceptable. We wholeheartedly support the Secretary to the Treasury in his rightful duties. We will also urge the IMF not to let such an incident pass and will bring this matter to their attention during our discussions,” de Silva said.
