Ministry of Finance (Sri Lanka)

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The Ministry of Finance (also known as the Finance Ministry or the Treasury) is a ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka responsible for developing and executing the government's public finance policy, economic policy and long term planning. The Treasury is housed at the General Treasury Building in Colombo fort.

Although the officer of the treasurer of the British Government of Ceylon dates back to the early nineteenth century the Ministry of Finance was established in 1947 prior to the independence of Ceylon as the Ministry of Finance and the Treasury of Ceylon with young J.R Jayawardena as the first Minister of Finance. Over time the Ministry took over the policy planning which it currently undertakes.

Senior officials

• Minister of Finance - Ravi Karunanayake
• State Minister of Finance - Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena
• Permanent Secretary, Secretary to the Treasury and Ministry of Finance — Dr. R H S Samaratunga

Treasury departments

• Department of Project Management and Monitoring
• National Planning Department
• External Resources Department
• National Budget Department
• Public Enterprises Department
• Management Services Department
• Fiscal Policy Department
• Trade, Tariff & Investment Policy Department
• Development Finance Department
• Public Finance Department
• Legal Affairs Department
• Treasury Operations Department
• State Accounts Department
• Management Audit Department.

Government revenue and information agencies under the purview of the Ministry

• Customs Department
• Inland Revenue Department
• Excise Department
• Imports and Exports Control Department
• Valuation Department
• Census and Statistics Department

Statutory institutions under the purview of the Ministry

• Central Bank of Sri Lanka
• Bank of Ceylon
• People’s Bank
• National Savings Bank
• State Mortgage & Investment Bank
• Lanka Puthra Development Bank
• Rajarata Development Bank
• Sabaragamuwa Development Bank
• Kandurata Development Bank
• Ruhuna Development Bank
• Uva Development Bank
• Wayamba Development Bank
• Development Lotteries Board
• National Lotteries Board
• Employees’ Trust Fund Board
• National Insurance Trust Fund
• National Development Trust Fund
• Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board
• Insurance Board of Sri Lanka
• Credit Information Bureau of Sri Lanka
• Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka
• Sri Lanka Savings Bank
• Housing Development Finance Corporation Bank

Permanent secretaries

The position of Secretary to the Treasury is rooted in the post of Financial Secretary of the colonial Government of Ceylon this itself originated from the post of Treasurer of the colonial government. Appointments were made from the members of the British Civil Service and later from the Ceylon Civil Service. It was one of three the key government colonial posts, the others being Colonial Secretary and Law Secretary. The post of Financial Secretary came second in the order precedence after Colonial Secretary or Chief Secretary as the post was known.

Following independence in 1947 and the official post of Secretary of Treasury, with appointment begin of grade of an Permanent Secretary and to the most senior member and head of the Ceylon Civil Service. Most appointments in the recent past have been for persons who have not been the career civil servants and the post is concurrently held with that of Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance.

• Charles Ernest Jones, CCS (29.09.1947 – 12.12.1950)
• Theodore Duncan Perera, CCS (13.12.1950 – 12.03.1951)
• Arthur Godwin Ranasinha, CCS (12.04.1956 – 22.11.1959)
• Leopold James Seneviratne, CCS (14.10.1954 – 14.08.1956)
• Samson Felix Amarasinghe, OBE, CCS (15.08.1956 – 31.05.1961 )
• H S Amarasinghe, CCS (01.06.1961 – 10.10.1963)
• H E Tennekoone (11.06.1963 – 18.12.1963)
• H J Samarakkody, CAS (19.12.1963 – 14.11.1968)
• M. Rajendra, CAS (15.11.1968 – 06.05.1971)
• C.A. Corray, SLAS (17.05.1971 – 01.07.1975)
• Dr. L R Jayewardena (16.07.1975 – 08.03.1978)
• Dr. W M Thilakeratne (28.03.1978 – 04.02.1987)
• B Mahadeva (05.02.1987 – 19.07.1987)
• C Chanmugam (20.07.1987 – 31.12.1988)
• R Paskaralingam (04.01.1989 – 18.01.1994)
• N V K K Weragoda (19.01.1994 – 18.08.1994)
• A. S. Jayawardene (19.08.1994 – 07.11.1995)
• B C Perera (08.01.1996 – 31.01.1998)
• Dixon Nilaweera (16.03.1998 – 01.11.1999)
• Dr. P.B. Jayasundera (01.11.1999 – 18.12.2001)
• J Charitha Ratwatte (19.12.2001 – 02.04.2004)
• Dr. P.B. Jayasundera (19.04.2004 – 17.09.2008)
• S Abeysinghe, SLAS (17.09.2008 – 2009)
• Dr. P.B. Jayasundera (2009 – 2015)

See also

• Minister of Finance

External links

• Government of Sri Lanka
• Official Website of the Treasury of Sri Lanka
• The Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies
• A Sri Lankan Diplomatic Success Story in the 18th Century

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