President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is reportedly planning to extend the tenure of Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana, despite his nomination for a senior position at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) following retirement.

Siriwardana, who was appointed in April 2022 during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, has been credited for his key role in securing the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility and leading the country’s debt restructuring efforts. His expertise in macroeconomic management and public finance is seen as crucial to ongoing reforms.

Although Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russel Aponsu was expected to succeed Siriwardana, government sources indicate reservations about his suitability. While Aponsu holds relevant academic qualifications and currently heads the Clean Sri Lanka Task Force, concerns have been raised over the initiative’s stalled progress under his leadership.