-By A Staff Writer
(Lanka-e-News -22.May.2025, 11.30 PM) In a decisive move underscoring a renewed commitment to transparency and reform, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed the formation of a special committee, under the purview of the Presidential Secretariat, to investigate allegations of corruption and misconduct at SriLankan Airlines.
The directive was issued during an extensive four-hour meeting held yesterday (20th May) at the Presidential Secretariat. The session brought together members of the airline’s Board of Directors and representatives of all affiliated trade unions. The President’s instruction signals a sweeping inquiry into the long-troubled national carrier, which has remained a loss-making entity for years despite repeated government bailouts.
The meeting also entailed a rigorous examination of the strategic business plan recently proposed by the airline’s Board. In alignment with the government’s policy decision to retain ownership of SriLankan Airlines, the President underscored the need to enhance financial discipline and institutional efficiency to reposition the carrier as a commercially viable enterprise.
President Dissanayake emphasised that salvaging SriLankan Airlines from its financial morass would require a collaborative effort across all sectors of the organisation. With the Treasury no longer able to subsidise operational losses, he urged internal stakeholders to foster a culture of accountability, cost-efficiency, and performance-driven management.
“As a political authority tasked with steering this nation out of economic turmoil, we are prepared to make the necessary sacrifices,” the President remarked. “But those sacrifices must be matched by a renewed sense of responsibility within SriLankan Airlines. Its revival is not merely the government’s obligation—it is the collective duty of every employee.”
In the 2025 national budget, Rs. 20 billion was earmarked for SriLankan Airlines. The President reminded attendees that this allocation stems directly from taxpayer contributions and, as such, must be deployed with maximum efficiency and impact. “The people of this country have made enough sacrifices. We must now ensure their money is not wasted,” he asserted.
Trade union representatives present at the meeting pledged their full cooperation in transforming SriLankan Airlines into a sustainable public enterprise. They affirmed their shared commitment to achieving the government's vision for the airline’s turnaround.
Present at the discussion were Sarath Ganegeoda, Chairman of SriLankan Airlines, members of the Board of Directors, and delegates from the airline’s major unions—including the Pilots’ Guild, Flight Attendants’ Union, Licensed Aircraft Engineers’ Association, Aircraft Technicians’ Union, Aircraft Engineers’ Forum, Sri Lanka Independent Workers’ Union, Inter-Company Employees’ Union, and the SriLankan Airlines Executive Staff Union.
The Presidential Media Division confirmed that this landmark consultation represents a pivotal step toward institutional reform, aimed at rescuing the national carrier from its longstanding crisis of mismanagement and inefficiency.
-By A Staff Writer
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by (2025-05-22 19:15:12)
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