New Treasury Secy. pledges to restore Finance Ministry’s lost honour

New Treasury Secretary and Finance Ministry Secretary S.R. Attygalle assuming duties at Finance Ministry in the presence of senior Finance Ministry officials and Acting Inspector General of Police C.D. Wickramaratne

The new Treasury Secretary and Finance Ministry Secretary S.R. Attygalle yesterday pledged to rebuild the lost honour and glory of the Treasury, working efficiently and progressively with the newly-elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Atygalle, who received his appointment letter on Tuesday from President Rajapaksa, assumed duties yesterday in the presence of senior Finance Ministry officials and Acting Inspector General of Police C.D. Wickramaratne.  

Attygalle delivering a brief speech after assuming duties said under the previous administration, the Finance Ministry officials were harassed by summoning them down to the Financial Crimes Investigation Division and Bribery Commission to give evidence, undermining the stature of the institution. 

As a result, he pointed out that the officials refrained from making important decisions and adopted a cautious approach, which eventually led to the destabilisation of the entire government mechanism.

“The Finance Ministry is not a playground to do such things,” he stressed. 

As the people of Sri Lanka have given a clear mandate to President Rajapaksa, Attygalle said officials should not be afraid to take the right decisions and assured that he would back them to the end. 

Meanwhile, he signalled that the key focus areas of the new administration under President Rajapaksa would be national security, economic development and welfare of the people.
“Sri Lankan people have elected a new president with a new vision. Under a leader well-rooted in national thinking, we should strive to create an inclusive economy to take the country forward,” he said.

Attygalle also stressed the need to have a practical approach to things saying that a higher per capita income on paper should be reflected in the 
people’s lives. 

He further called for increased coordination among the departments at the General Treasury for better decision-making and implementation. 

Attygalle has been a Deputy Treasury Secretary at the Finance Ministry for more than a decade. At the time of the new appointment, he was serving as a Deputy Governor at the Central Bank.

Attygalle holds a Master’s Degree (M.Sc.) in Quantitative Development Economics from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom and a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Degree in Physical Science from the University of Colombo.

He had also served as Director General of the Fiscal Policy Department and Public Enterprises Department of the Finance and Planning Ministry.

He had been a Director and Acting Chairman of National Savings Bank and a Director to the board of Regional Development Bank. He also represented the Treasury on the board of several state enterprises, including the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.