Central Bank officials summoned to party leaders’ meeting over salary hike

The officials of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) will be summoned to the party leaders’ meeting scheduled to convene at 10:30 AM on Tuesday (March 05), as announced by the Department of Communication of Parliament.

At the meeting, CBSL officials will be questioned about the process and rationale behind the recent salary hike given to its employees. This decision was made during the Committee on Parliamentary Business meeting held this morning (March 01).

Next week’s parliamentary sessions are scheduled from Tuesday to Thursday.

Earlier this week, CBSL requested the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, for an opportunity to brief Members of Parliament through an appropriate Parliamentary Committee about the recent salary increment, which faced criticism. CBSL Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe made the request in writing.

In a released statement, CBSL explained that the latest revision of employee remuneration was approved by the Governing Board under the triennial Collective Agreement with Trade Unions, covering the period 2024 – 2026. The statement noted, “CBSL will explain its position upon being offered the requested opportunity or on receipt of a request for information.”

State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe suggested summoning CBSL officials before the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) for clarifications regarding the matter.

Recent media reports revealed that CBSL had increased its employees’ salaries by 70%, prompting heavy criticism from parliamentarians of both the ruling party and the opposition.