Sirisena Amarasekara

Sirisena Amarasekara is a senior Sri Lankan public servant who is the current secretary to the Cabinet of Sri Lanka.[1] As the Cabinet Secretary, he functions as the executive head of the Cabinet Office.[2] Prior to receiving this appointment in November 2019, among other government appointments, he had functioned as the secretary to the Prime Minister on two occasions.[3][4]

Sirisena Amarasekara
Secretary to the Cabinet of Ministers
In office
November 2019 – present
PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime MinisterMahinda Rajapaksa
Secretary to the Prime Minister
In office
April 2010 – January 2015
Prime MinisterD.M. Jayaratne
In office
October 2018 – December 2018
Prime MinisterMahinda Rajapaksa
Personal details
BornMiddeniya
Nationality Sri Lankan
Spouse(s)A.D.H Amarasekara
ChildrenChaminda, Lasantha
Alma materUniversity Peradeniya, University of Bath, UK
ProfessionCivil Servant

Early Life and education

Sirisena Amarasekara was born in 1947 in Mideniya on the southern coast of Sri Lanka.

He is a B.Com (Hon) graduate from the University of Peradeniya. He also holds postgraduate qualifications in Development Economics from the University of Bath.

Career

Amarasekara joined the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs in 1970 and served for more than 44 years in the public sector in various senior positions. He served for 15 years as a Secretary for ministries such as Highways and Road Development, Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Ports and Shipping, and Agriculture. He also served as the Secretary to the Prime Minister on two occasions.

Sirisena Amarasekara addressing a gathering

He has also served as the Chairman of Road Development Authority and Chairman of the Urban Development Authority. After his retirement from the public service in 2015 he served as the President of the Pavura association of Intellectual Professionals and as the president of Voice for Justice a NGO to voice against political victimization.

He has served in various positions in the past including as the Secretary to the Ministry of Western Regional Development, Chairman of the Petroleum Corporation, Chairman of the Road Development Authority, Chairman of the Urban Development Authority, Chairman of the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agriculture Research Institute, Director General of Regional Development as part of the Ministry of Policy Planing, Director of Integrated Rural Development project of Matara District, Director General of Mahaweli Authority, and the Additional Director General of Southern Development Authority.

Secretary to the Prime Minister

Following the Appointment of the new prime minister D.M. Jayaratne[5] in 2010, Amarasekara, who functioned as the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture at that time, was appointed as the Secretary to the Prime Minister, and continued to function in this office until 2015, when he was succeeded by S. Ekanayaka.

In 2018, when the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa was appointed Prime Minister, Sirisena Amarasekara was appointed the Secretary to the Prime Minister. This was the second time he served in this office.

Sirisena Amarasekara in 2018

Past Appointments
  • Secretary to the Prime Minister
  • Secretary to Ministry of Highways and Road Development
  • Secretary to Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development
  • Secretary to Ministry of Ports and Shipping
  • Secretary to Ministry of Agriculture
  • Secretary to the Ministry of Western Regional Development
  • Chairman of Petroleum Corporation
  • Chairman of Road Development Authority
  • Chairman of Urban Development Authority
  • Chairman of Hector Kobbekaduwa Agricultural Research Institute
  • Director General of Regional Development (Ministry of Policy Planing)
  • Director of Integrated Rural Development Project of Matara District
  • Director General of Mahaweli Authority
  • Additional Director General of Southern Development Authority

Personal Life

Srisena Amarasekara is married to A.D.H. Amarasekara and has two sons: Chaminda Amarasekara, who is a Doctor[6] in the service of the Sri Lanka Navy, and Lasantha Amarasekara, who is a banker.

  • Dr Chaminda Amarasekara, a Sri Lankan Naval officer
  • Lasantha Amarasekara, a Sri Lankan Banker
gollark: Tritium lamps would be nice, at least.
gollark: It sounds more like it's meant to just make things glowy so they're more visible.
gollark: Would that not make seeing *worse*?
gollark: I'm not asking "how does it glow", I'm asking "why do you want goggles filled with glowy stuff".
gollark: No, I mean, realistically, how will sticking glowy things in front of your eyes do anything useful?

References
  1. "Sirisena Amarasekara assumes duties as Sec. to PM". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 2018-10-27. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  2. "Office Staff". www.cabinetoffice.gov.lk. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  3. "Sirisena Amarasekara appointed Prime Minister's Secretary". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  4. "S. Amarasekera appointed as Cabinet Secretary". CeylonToday. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  5. "Parliament of Sri Lanka".
  6. "Registry - Sri Lanka Medical Council". www.srilankamedicalcouncil.org. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
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