Sri Lanka central bank to get new governor

Colombo, April 5 : Sri Lanka’s central bank is set to name a new chief, in the midst of its worst economic crisis in over 70 years, BBC reported on Tuesday. P Nandalal Weerasinghe will take over as the central bank’s governor on Thursday. This comes after the bank’s chief Ajith Nivard Cabraal resigned on Monday, amid mass protests calling for his removal over rising living costs and power cuts. The bank also postponed an interest rate decision as policy makers try to stabilise the country’s currency. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has not yet made an official announcement on Weerasinghe’s appointment. However, a spokesman for the bank said that it is waiting for confirmation from the country’s president. Speaking from Australia, Weerasinghe said that he had been offered the role and had accepted it, while declining to comment on his plans for Sri Lanka’s crisis-hit economy or when a decision on interest rates would be made. Weerasinghe was the bank’s deputy governor from September 2012 and left the role eight years later. ACL1206