Sandamali Chandrasekera has resigned from her post as Chairperson of Lanka Sugar Company (Pvt) Ltd with immediate effect, citing increasing political pressure and governance concerns.
In a letter addressed to Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetthi, Chandrasekera said she was stepping down as she was unable to discharge her duties in a manner consistent with good governance and institutional integrity.
She noted that Lanka Sugar, a loss-making State-Owned Enterprise, operates under strict regulatory and financial controls imposed by the Department of Public Enterprises. While acknowledging that such frameworks are necessary to ensure accountability, she said they place constraints on how the institution can function and respond to external demands.
During her tenure, she said there were several instances where requests and expectations were conveyed to the company that would have required violations of applicable circulars, regulations and established legal procedures.
“In such circumstances, the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, and I remained firmly bound by our statutory and fiduciary obligations, and were therefore unable to comply with such requests,” she stated.
Chandrasekera said this position led to increasing friction with certain provincial politicians. Despite repeated efforts to clarify the legal and regulatory limitations under which the company operates, she said those explanations were not accepted.
She further stated that the resulting and continuing pressure from local politicians to act inconsistently with the law, regulations and government circulars had made it increasingly difficult to perform her duties.
“In these circumstances, I am unable to perform my duties in the best interests of the institution and in keeping with my professional ethics. Therefore, I believe it is both appropriate and necessary for me to step down from this position,” she said.
Chandrasekera expressed appreciation for the opportunity to have served in the role. (Newswire)
