BOI unions continue protest to oust Chairman

The trade unions at the BOI yesterday said they had decided to continue the protest against BOI Chairman Sanjaya Mohottala, who tendered his resignation last week but who is “trying to come through the back door”.

A BOI statement on Sunday said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had refused to accept the resignation of Mohottala and three other BOI board directors.  A letter sent to Mohottala by President’s Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundara, on behalf of the President, had notified him to continue as BOI Chairman and it read “…as he (President) has highest confidence in your ability to contribute effectively to promote foreign investments to the best interest of the country and help the post-COVID economic transformation”.

A battle had been brewing between the BOI leadership and unions since the leadership recruited private sector talent at higher salaries, which the unions claimed was done through violating due procedures, though the move was backed by the Cabinet of Ministers.