Trade Unions of the Department of Excise have opposed the appointment of M.B.N.A. Premarathne, a retired Commodore of the Sri Lanka Navy, as the new Commissioner General of Excise.
TUs say that for the first time in the history of the Excise Department, a Commissioner General has been appointed from outside despite the existence of 03 senior, qualified officials within the department.
On July 06, the department’s TUs have directed a letter to President Anura Kumara Disanayake. urging to appoint an officer from the department to the post.
According to reports, Commodore (Retd.) Premarathne is said to be the husband of NPP National List nominee for the 2024 General Election – Prof. Wasantha Subasinghe. He is also said to be hailing from the President’s hometown of Thambutthegama.
The post of Excise Commissioner General fell vacant after Udaya Kumara Perera retired from public service today (July 10) upon reaching the age of 60.
On July 07, Cabinet approval was granted to appoint Commodore (Retd.) Premarathne to the post.
The proposal was presented by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
