The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma - Acting Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development

17 December 2024 ·Oral question: Oral Question: IMF Delegation Expenses in Washington DC (Q.96/2024)

Public Finance

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Acting Minister Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma provided details on officials and expenditure related to an overseas engagement involving the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. He stated that four Ministry officials and five Central Bank officials participated, with costs of Rs. 7.05 million for air tickets and USD 38,587 for travel expenses, and that no separate payments were made to Lazard or Clifford Chance on this occasion. He said the visit was intended to support Sri Lanka’s engagement with the IMF Extended Fund Facility, access financial and technical assistance, align policies with international practices, and strengthen credibility and investor confidence.

Verbatim record (translated)

Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English

¶ 01 Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister, I provide the following:

¶ 02 (a)(i) Number of officials: - Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development: 04 - Central Bank of Sri Lanka: 05

¶ 03 (ii) Expenditure: Rs. 7.05 million for air tickets; USD 38,587 for travel expenses.

¶ 04 Breakdown: - Ministry of Finance (16 days): Air tickets and insurance Rs. 1.89 million; per diem and travel USD 21,298. - Central Bank (7 days): Air tickets Rs. 5.16 million; per diem and travel USD 17,289.

¶ 05 (iii) No separate payments were made at this time to Lazard or Clifford Chance, as payments are made under existing agreements for services; thus no payment was made on this occasion.

¶ 06 (iv) Benefits include: strengthening Sri Lanka’s engagement with the IMF under the Extended Fund Facility; access to financial and technical assistance; aligning Sri Lanka’s economic policies with global trends and best practices; enhancing Sri Lanka’s credibility and investor confidence; and securing long-term benefits.

¶ 07 (b) Does not arise.

Provenance

Source: Hansard, Tuesday, 17 December 2024 ·No. 1734685396083959 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma - Acting Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 17 December 2024. No. 1734685396083959. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/18134