President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that the incumbent Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Mahinda Siriwardena, will retire from his position at the end of this month. 

Following his retirement, Siriwardena will assume duties as an Alternate Executive Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), representing Sri Lanka and six other countries.

The President made this announcement while addressing the inaugural event of National Tax Week, held this morning (June 2) at the Presidential Secretariat.

Commenting on Siriwardena’s contributions, President Dissanayake stated:

“As he himself mentioned, Sri Lanka had become one of the lowest tax-collecting states in recent history—both locally and globally. Rebuilding a fair and efficient tax system has required substantial institutional and legal reforms. A significant share of this effort was led by our Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Mahinda Siriwardena.”

He continued:

“I wish to acknowledge that Siriwardena will officially retire from his post at the end of this month. He will then assume duties as the Alternate Executive Director of the Asian Development Bank, representing seven countries, including Sri Lanka.”

The President concluded his remarks by expressing his appreciation for Siriwardena’s service:

“I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere gratitude to him. We must recognize and appreciate the pivotal role he has played in implementing these essential tax reforms.”