Malik claims CCEM was a ‘consultative process’

Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama yesterday in statement averred that the now scrapped Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was “thoroughly a consultative process.”  

Referring to recent news reports—what he called “erroneous and misleading”— quoting a certain Cabinet Minister, Samrawickrama said “all the decisions reached by the CCEM were then sent to Cabinet for final approval and ratification and the Cabinet was finally, collectively responsible for all economic management decisions made.” 

He further noted that the CCEM comprised of all ministers involved in economic affairs. 

“Discussions pertaining to a particular ministry always included the subject minister, irrespective of political party, and officials and bureaucrats from the agency under discussion,” he said. 

“If ministers claim this was an arbitrary process it can only be assumed that persons making such remarks were not focused or paying attention during meetings of the Cabinet of Ministers,” he added.

He further noted that the CCEM comprised of all ministers involved in economic affairs. 

“Discussions pertaining to a particular ministry always included the subject minister, irrespective of political party, and officials and bureaucrats from the agency under discussion,” he said. 

“If ministers claim this was an arbitrary process it can only be assumed that persons making such remarks were not focused or paying attention during meetings of the Cabinet of Ministers,” he added.

Several ministers representing President Sirisena’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party were recently seen blaming the decisions taken by the CCEM for the current challenges faced by the economy.

President Sirisena scrapped CCEM early this year and established National Economic Council (NEC) in its place as the supreme body taking all the decisions relating to economic matters. NEC is chaired by President Sirisena.