Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma appointed Secretary to Ministry of Finance

Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma as the new Secretary to the Ministry of Finance.

The appointment follows the retirement of former Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana.

Dr. Suriyapperuma received his official letter of appointment from the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, this morning (June 23) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.

Dr. Suriyapperuma formally assumed duties today (June 23) as the new Secretary to the Ministry of Finance.

Before this appointment, Dr. Suriyapperuma was a National List Member of Parliament representing the National People’s Power (NPP). He also served as the Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning. He resigned from Parliament on June 20, 2025, to take up his new role.

Dr. Suriyapperuma has significant experience in finance and policy. He was a Director at the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, where he worked under the Ministry of Finance. He helped raise Sri Lanka’s global ranking for “Protecting Minority Investors” from 74th to 28th in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index.

He has contributed to financial sector reforms, including policies supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, and served on the national Anti-Money Laundering Task Force. He has also held CEO positions in top private sector companies.

Academically, Dr. Suriyapperuma holds an MBA from the Postgraduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, and a Doctorate from Management and Science University in Malaysia. He is a member of both CIMA and ACCA (UK).

His broad experience in public policy, regulation, and private enterprise is expected to bring strong leadership to the Ministry of Finance.