Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe has stated that Central Bank representatives are willing to appear before Parliament to directly respond to questions raised by Members of Parliament regarding the country’s economy, should there be delays in providing answers through the usual channels.
Dr. Weerasinghe made this assurance when Central Bank officials appeared before the Committee on Public Finance recently.
Committee Chairman Dr. Harsha de Silva raised concerns over the lack of timely responses in Parliament to questions on key economic issues such as monetary policy, inflation, and exchange rates.
Addressing the concern, Governor Weerasinghe explained that responses to such questions are first directed to the Minister of Finance, who compiles answers from relevant institutions before submission to Parliament.
“When a Member of Parliament raises a question, it is referred to the Minister of Finance. We often receive those questions at the last minute but still ensure our responses are sent promptly. However, the overall process can get delayed, especially when several institutions are involved,” he said.
Dr. Weerasinghe highlighted that the Central Bank has consistently provided timely input when requested, and added, “If we are invited, we have no objection to appearing before Parliament ourselves to provide the answers directly.”
