Inaugural Cabinet meeting: Ravi opposes Mangala’s proposal

Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena with Minister Ravi Karunanayake

Power and Energy Minister Ravi Karunanayake, who held the finance portfolio previously, strongly opposed a Cabinet paper, submitted by Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera, yesterday, seeking approval for securing USD 1 billion from the National Savings Bank to service debt.

The UNF government had its inaugural Cabinet meeting yesterday at the Presidential Secretariat.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Ministers Malik Samarawickrema and Lakshman Kiriella backed Samaraweera’s move. Karunanayake reiterated his opposition to the proposal.

Finally, the Cabinet, chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena, approved Samaraweera’s proposal, and Karunanayake’s objections were minuted.

(Source: The Island)