Daily FT: Subject minister in the dark about SriLankan Board’s decision to resign

• State Enterprise Development Ministry yet to be informed
• Chairman Ajit Dias says current SriLankan Board will work till new Board is appointed
• Changes are expected in early 2018: Dias

 

State Enterprise Development Minister Kabir Hashim is unaware of the decision taken by members of the Board of Directors of national carrier SriLankan Airlines to tender their resignation to clear the way for the restructuring of the organisation, despite the expectation of new appointments being made early next  year.

A letter communicating the offers of six of the seven members of the board to resign along with the minutes of the board meeting where the resolution was reached has already been handed over to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office. However, the Minister is yet to be informed of the decision, Hashim told the Daily FT.

“I have not been told nor has the secretary to my ministry. I learnt of the issue from social media but no official intimation has been given regarding the matter,” the Minister said.

The letter with the offer to resign was handed over to the Prime Minister’s office as he is now heading the Ministerial Committee on SriLankan Airlines, its chairman, Ajit Dias, told the Daily FT. He also explained that the Board was appointed by the Secretary to the Treasury, not by the line ministry.

However, according to normal practice, the resignation is first handed over to the relevant ministry secretary, who then communicates the matter to the respective minister for further action.

The move to resign may have stemmed from an earlier discussion within the officials’ committee appointed to lead the restructuring of the carrier, suggesting that it would be more appropriate to appoint a new board to carry out the changes, a member of the committee told the Daily FT.

The suggestion was included in a brief report presented by the committee during the first few sittings.

“It was only a suggestion, it wasn’t a decision taken at the time. However, this may have instigated the action taken by the Board,” the official said.

However, the current Board will function until a new one is appointed, which is expected to happen during the first few weeks of 2018.

“The whole Board has to function till the new Board is appointed as the company has to run till then,” Dias explained.

Source: Daily FT

Image Courtesy: Daily FT