Dr. Sulakshana Jayawardena, a senior Sri Lanka Administrative Service officer with more than 23 years of public sector experience, has been appointed Acting Chairman of the Board of Investment, the BOI announced on Tuesday.
Jayawardena holds a PhD and a master’s degree from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and a science degree from the University of Peradeniya. He is “widely recognised for his transformative work in the power and energy sector,” the BOI said in a statement, citing his record on renewable energy development, rural electrification and strategic policy formulation.
The appointment slots an energy specialist into the country’s main investment promotion agency at a moment when foreign direct investment is being squeezed by twin macroeconomic shocks: the Middle East energy crisis and the 44 percent Trump tariff on Sri Lankan exports that takes effect on April 9. Diversified energy and renewable infrastructure are among the few investment categories still drawing serious international interest, and the choice of an energy-sector administrator signals where the BOI expects to focus its near-term pipeline.
“As acting chairman, Dr Jayawardena is poised to leverage his extensive administrative experience to further the BOI’s mission of attracting high-quality foreign direct investment and fostering a business-friendly environment in Sri Lanka,” the BOI said.
Neither the BOI nor the Presidential Secretariat disclosed who Jayawardena replaces, the effective date of his term or whether he is being lined up as a permanent successor. His tenure will overlap with the International Solar Alliance’s 4 GW solar pipeline programme and several pending renewable energy investments the cabinet has flagged as priorities.
