Chandra Demands For Information On Treasury Bond Issuance
April 20, 2016
Exercising his ‘Right to Information,’ good governance activist and former Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Chandra Jayaratne has demanded the Secretary of the Central Bank’s Monetary Board to furnish him within 14 days all information pertaining to the recent Treasury Bond issuance from the Central Bank.
Chandra Jayaratne
In a letter addressed to the Secretary of the Monetary Board of Sri Lanka on April 19, Jayaratne said that in recognition of the provisions of Article 14 A of Chapter III (Fundamental Rights) of the Constitution of the Sri Lanka, dealing with the right of access to information and also in recognition of the Right to Information Bill tabled in the Parliament, he was exercising his fundamental right to receive the information on several matters from the Monetary Board of Sri Lanka, being the body responsible for making all policy decisions related to the management, operation and administration of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
“Kindly submit to me in English, within 14 days from the receipt of this letter, information in respect of Government Treasury Bond Issues,” the letter which was also copied to Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran and members of the Monetary Board said.
The full text of the letter is below;
19th April 2016. By Registered Post
The Secretary,
Monetary Board of Sri Lanka,
Central Bank of Sri Lanka,
Janadhipathi Mawatha,
Colombo 1.
Monetary Board of Sri Lanka,
Central Bank of Sri Lanka,
Janadhipathi Mawatha,
Colombo 1.
Dear Sir,
Exercise of Right to Information in Terms of the Constitution of Sri Lanka and Pending Legislation on Right to Information
In recognition of the provisions of Article 14 A of Chapter III (Fundamental Rights) of the Constitution of the Sri Lanka, dealing with the right of access to information and also in recognition of the Right to Information Bill tabled in the Parliament of Sri Lanka, in which the preamble reads as “WHEREAS the Constitution guarantees the right of access to information in Article 14A thereof and there exists a need to foster a culture of transparency and accountability in public authorities by giving effect to the right of access to information and thereby promote a society in which the people of Sri Lanka would be able to more fully participate in public life through combating corruption and promoting accountability and good governance”, I hereby serve due notice on you, that I wish to exercise my fundamental right to receive the information hereinafter set out in this letter from the Monetary Board of Sri Lanka, being the body responsible for making all policy decisions related to the management, operation and administration of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, in terms of the Monetary Law Act No 58 of 1949 as amended.
