President meets state bank Heads on budget

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday met the Heads of state banks and Director Board members at Temple Trees with a view to obtaining their views and suggestions to prepare the 2012 budget proposals.

Heads of each bank detailed the progress achieved by them for the first half of the year to the President who is also acting as the Minister of Finance.

The discussion also focused on how the state banks should perform to cope with the structural changes that are to be effected in the country by 2015.

It was also stressed at the meeting that state banks should go beyond the traditional banking affairs.

Senior Minister for International Monetary Cooperation Dr Sarath Amunugama, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Deputy Finance Minister Geethanjana Gunawardena, Finance Ministry Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera and Central Bank Governor Dr. Ajith Nivard Cabraal also participated in the meeting.

Chairman of People's Bank W. Karunajeewa, Bank of Ceylon Gamini Wickramasinghe, National Savings Bank Pradeep Kariyawasam, State Mortgage and Investment Bank Jagath Wellawatte, chairperson Regional Development Bank Janaki Kuruppu and Director Board members were present.