The Government of Sri Lanka has expressed grave concern about the latest developments in the Middle East. 

A statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism states, “We continue to call upon all parties to take concrete steps to de-escalate the situation.”

“All concerned parties should return to dialogue and engage in intense diplomatic efforts to establish and maintain peace with a view to ensuring stability in the Middle East region,” the statement adds.

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court today (June 23) ordered to arrest former MP Sajin Vass Gunawardena and present him in court.
The order was issued due to Gunawardena’s failure to appear in court over a case filed by the Commissioner of Inland Revenue against the non-payment of income tax amounting to Rs. 36.9 million.

The Commissioner of Inland Revenue had filed this case in 2023, regarding the non-payment of income tax for the years 2010 – 2012.

Appearing on behalf of the complainant, Dinesh Perera, informed the court that the defendant had not appeared in court despite being issued summons.Taking into consideration the facts presented, Additional Magistrate Pavithra Sanjeevani Pathuraja issued a warrant ordering Gunawardena to be produced before the court.

Former Deputy Minister – Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma has officially been appointed as the new Secretary to the Ministry of Finance.

The letter of appointment was handed over to Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma by the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake this morning (23) at the Presidential Secretariat.He was appointed to the post after the recent retirement of former Finance Secretary – Mahinda Siriwardana.

Dr. Suriyapperuma, who served as a National List Member of Parliament representing the National People’s Power (NPP) and former Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, had tendered his resignation from Parliament last week.

Dr. Suriyapperuma has been involved in capital market regulation for several years as a Director of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, which operates under the Ministry of Finance.

He successfully elevated Sri Lanka’s ranking in the “Protecting Minority Investors” indicator within the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business, from 74th to 28th globally.

He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Postgraduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura and a Doctorate from the Management and Science University, Malaysia.

He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Suriyapperuma has represented the capital market as a member of the Anti-Money Laundering Task Force and has contributed to the formulation of current financial sector policies, including those for listing small and medium-sized enterprises.

Furthermore, he has held several key positions in leading private sector companies, including Chief Executive Officer roles.