Indrajit Coomaraswamy, veteran economist, is the new Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).
President Maithripala Sirisena announced Prof. Coomaraswamy’s appointment on Saturday morning through his official twitter account.
Dr. Coomaraswamy succeeds Arjuna Mahendran, whose tenure, marked by controversies on the issuance of bonds, came to an end on Thursday.
An official release issued later by the President’s office stated that the decision was taken after consulting Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Prof. Coomaraswamy would assume charge on Monday. He would hold the post for six years.
“He must have been in a state of shock,” Radhika Coomaraswamy, the younger sister of the economist and member of the Constitutional Council, told THE HINDU , expressing her joy and surprise over the development.
Born in 1950, Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy had his early education at the Royal College, Colombo and the Harrow School in England. He completed his undergraduate degree at Cambridge University and obtained his Doctorate from the University of Sussex. Joining the CBSL in 1973, he was part of the Bank till 1989. During this period, he also served the Ministry of Finance and Planning for eight years. During 1990-2008, he worked in the Commonwealth Secretariat, holding various positions such as Director, Economic Affairs Division and Deputy-Director, Secretary-General's Office.
At the time of the latest appointment, Dr. Coomaraswamy is an adviser at the Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade.
The father of Dr. Indrajit and Dr. Radhika was Rajendra Coomaraswamy, who served the UNDP between 1961 and 1977. Mr. Rajendra Coomaraswamy laid foundation for the adoption of human development approach, which later became, according to a UN publication of 2015, part of the flagship mission of the United Nations under Mahbub Ul Haq and Amartya Sen.
