Colombo, January 11 (NIA): Sri Lankan Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said here on Wednesday, that the fact that the prestigious London-based magazine The Banker had named him the Best Finance Minister in the Asia-Pacific region in 2016, proves that the allegations of non-performance hurled at the government by the Joint Opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa are baseless and unfounded.
“I consider the award an honor for Sri Lanka as a country,” Karunanayake told Newsin.asia.
“I thank President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for opening the doors to me and enabling me to work,” the Finance Minister added.
The Banker which evaluates 5,000 banks and financial institutions annually, recognized the way Karunanayake had reduced Sri Lanka’s fiscal deficit under difficult political circumstances and also improved tax compliance,a major lacuna in the Sri Lankan financial system.
The International Monetary Fund has also backed Karunanayake’s endeavors and has given Sri Lanka the assistance it sought on the basis of its encouraging financial performance under his guidance and prodding.
(The featured image at the top shows Sri Lankan international award winning Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake)