COLOMBO – There has been no firm decision made to appoint a new governor to Sri Lanka’s central bank, a government minister said amid speculation that State Minister for Money and Capital Markets Nivard Cabraal may return to his old position.
“Actually that has not been finalized, Co-cabinet spokesman Minister Ramesh Pathirana told reporters, adding, “That is all I can say about that.”
Pathirana was responding to questions about whether Cabraal had been asked by the government to resign his position to take over as Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka as reported in the media.
State Minister Cabraal declined to comment.
Cabraal, who was Governor of the central bank until the end of 2014 during the President Mahinda Rajapaksa administration, had not indicated any interest in returning to the post when the Rajapaksa returned as Prime Minister with his brother Gotabaya as President.
According to political sources, there had been discussions on the possibility of appointing Cabraal as Governor with a Cabinet rank.
Several countries including China and Singapore have actual ministers as governors of the central, while Vietnam’s central bank governor has cabinet rank.
-economynext.com