Sri Lanka, April 30 -- The Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance, Harsha de Silva, possesses the authority to punish Finance Secretary Dr Harshana Suriyapperuma through parliamentary mechanisms if he fails to appear before Parliament, according to former Governor Ranjith Keerthi Tennakoon on behalf of the Free Lawyers Association.

The statement comes after Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Harshana Suriyapperuma submitted a written refusal to attend the parliamentary finance committee meeting scheduled for tomorrow. Ranjith Keerthi Tennakoon notes that the Committee on Public Finance was established under Parliamentary Standing Order 121, adopted in 2022, and any violations are punishable under the Parliament (Powers and Privile...