As per the President's recommendation, Opposition Parliamentarian Dr. Harsha De Silva has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance.
"Standing orders should be followed when appointing chairmen of committees and advisory bodies. According to the existing standards, the chairmanship of the Committee on Public Finance Committee should be offered to members of the opposition," President Ranil Wickremesinghe said speaking at the Parliamentary Oversight Committee.
"Harsha de Silva's name and the names of several other members were proposed for this purpose. MP Mayantha Dissanayake has resigned as chairman.
If the opposition suggests it, MP Harsha de Silva should be appointed head of the Committee on Public Finance. The IMF agreement was approved by Parliament. The newly appointed chairman should conduct himself appropriately."
Member of Parliament Harsha De Silva thanked the President for appointing him as the new Chairman of the Government Finance Committee.
"We questioned the Committee on Public Finance not to disrupt these efforts, but to steer the committee and its responsibilities in the appropriate direction," de Silva said.
"We collaborated with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to establish an Interim Budget Office."
President Wickremesinghe also announced plans to establish a Digital Promotion Agency aimed at developing computer applications for the collection and monitoring of data from various government entities in Sri Lanka.