The officials of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) have been summoned to the Cabinet meeting scheduled to be held on Tuesday (March 05).

There, the CBSL officials will be inquired about the process and rationale behind the recent salary hike given to its employees, with no notice to any responsible parties.

Recent media reports revealed that the CBSL had increased the salaries of its employees by 70% and the move was heavily criticized by parliamentarians of both the ruling party and the opposition.

Earlier this week, the CBSL requested the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, for an opportunity to apprise the Members of Parliament, through an appropriate Parliamentary Committee, of the recent salary increment which came under fire. The request was made in writing by CBSL Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe.

Issuing a release in this regard, the CBSL had explained that the latest revision of remuneration of its employees had been approved by the Governing Board under the triennial Collective Agreement entered into with the Trade Unions covering the period 2024 - 2026.

In light of the situation, State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe suggested that CBSL officials be summoned before the Committee on Public Finance (COPF), for clarifications pertaining to the matter.

Thus, the relevant officials have also been summoned to the party leaders’ meeting and the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) which are scheduled to be held tomorrow (05).