November 06, Colombo (LNW): Central Bank Governor Dr Nandalal Weerasinghe has reaffirmed his willingness to appear before Parliament at any time to respond directly to questions from Members of Parliament on issues concerning the national economy.
Speaking in reference to recent discussions involving the Committee on Public Finance (COPF), Dr Weerasinghe clarified that any perceived delay in receiving responses from the Central Bank is the result of procedural requirements rather than reluctance or inefficiency.
“When a Member of Parliament raises a question, it is first directed to the Minister of Finance. The Ministry then reaches out to us for clarification or data. Once the request is made, we promptly provide all relevant information,” he explained.
He added that the Central Bank itself cannot formally address Parliament, as responses must be presented through the Finance Minister or the Deputy Minister of Finance, in accordance with established parliamentary protocol. “We are always ready to cooperate and respond swiftly, but the timing of delivery depends on the administrative process,” Dr Weerasinghe said.
The Governor further observed that many of the questions raised by legislators involve not just the Central Bank but also the Ministry of Finance and several related institutions. “In such cases, it falls to the Finance Minister to gather inputs from all agencies and compile a unified report for Parliament,” he noted.
Dr Weerasinghe emphasised that if the Central Bank were formally invited, he and his team would have “no hesitation whatsoever” in appearing before Parliament to provide clarifications directly. He also reminded that under the recently enacted Central Bank Act, the CBSL holds a unique responsibility among state entities — to report to Parliament every four months, ensuring transparency and accountability in its operations.
