GOVERNOR AJITH NIVARD CABRAAL is the 16th Governor of the Central  Bank of Sri Lanka, having assumed duties with effect from 15th of September  2021.  

Previously, he served as a Member of Parliament and as the State Minister of  Money, Capital Markets and State Enterprise Reforms from 12th August 2020  to 13th September 2021. During the brief period Cabraal served as an MP,  he made as many as 140 interventions and speeches in Parliament, while as a  Minister, he steered the new Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act  and the new Securities and Exchange Commission Act in Parliament.  

Prior to being an MP and Minister, he was the Senior Advisor to the Prime  Minister on Economic Affairs from November 2019 to August 2020. 

From July 2006 to January 2015, Cabraal served as the 12th Governor of the  Central Bank of Sri Lanka during which period, he functioned as: • Alternate Governor of the International Monetary Fund 

• Chairman of the South East Asian Central Banks (SEACEN) Board of Governors
• Chairman of the SAARC Central Bank Governors Forum.

During the period he served as the 12th Governor, he transformed the Sri  Lankan economy from a GDP of USD 24 billion to USD 79 billion, and to  being a safe, stable and fast-growing middle income emerging market nation.  He also provided leadership to several heavily over-subscribed International  Sovereign Bond issues. Under Governor Cabraal’s guidance, Sri Lanka was  able to maintain sound and stable macro-economic fundamentals, with  inflation being contained to low levels, and financial system stability being  achieved in a time of severe global uncertainties and turmoil. 

Cabraal was previously the Presidential Advisor on Economic Affairs and  Secretary, Ministry of Plan Implementation, and closely associated in the  development of the Policy Framework and Development Plan of the  Government. He served on the Board of the Strategic Enterprises  Management Agency, and as a Member of the Government Team that participated at the Geneva Talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam  (LTTE) in February 2006. 

Ajith Nivard Cabraal is a Chartered Accountant by profession, having qualified  as one of the youngest Chartered Accountants in Sri Lanka, while winning  many prizes at the CA examinations. 

Prior to his state appointments, Cabraal functioned as a Consultant  specializing in Business Revival and Turnarounds, Planning and Corporate  Governance. He also served as the President of the Institute of Chartered  Accountants of Sri Lanka, and the South Asian Federation of Accountants.  Cabraal was an Eisenhower Fellow in the year 2000 Multi-Nation Program, as  well.  

From 1997 to 1999, he served as the President of the St. Peter’s College Old  Boys Union while in 2019, he was honoured by the Ramanya Maha Nikaya  with the title “Desha Keerthi Lanka Puthra” “දේශ කීර්ති ලංකා පුත්‍ර” for his  outstanding services to the country and the economy. 

Governor Cabraal is the author of the books, “Towards a Sri Lankan  Renaissance” (2002), “ලක් මවට මුතු ද ාටක්” (2004), and “The Great  Bondscam Cover-up” (2019). 

He is a voracious reader, an eloquent speaker, a lover of music, and a person  with many unique insights and experiences.