A Life of Distinguished Public Service and Professional Excellence.- An Appreciation of Mr. Ranjan Samaraweera-by Gamini Kariyawasam
Mr. Ranjan Samaraweera, a highly respected public servant, management consultant, academic, and development practitioner, passed away on 9 January 2026. His cremation will take place on 11 January 2026, at Kalapaluwawa Cemetry.
With his passing, Sri Lanka has lost a rare professional whose life was devoted to strengthening public institutions, empowering communities, and nurturing generations of public sector leaders.
Mr. Samaraweera counted over three decades of distinguished service in the Sri Lanka Accountants’ Service and the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, rising to senior national positions through merit, integrity, and intellectual rigour. After retiring as a Head of a Government Department, he continued to serve the nation as an ADB-registered Management Consultant, contributing actively until the very end of his life.
Academic and Professional Foundations
Mr. Samaraweera’s academic credentials reflected his lifelong commitment to learning and excellence. He held a Bachelor of Science (Special) Degree in Management from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, a Diploma in Purchasing and Materials Management, and a Master of Public Administration from the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM). These qualifications formed the foundation for a career that seamlessly blended theory with practice.
He further strengthened his expertise through extensive local and foreign professional training, including advanced programs at Harvard University, the Indian Institute of Management (Ahmedabad), the Asian Institute of Technology (Bangkok), and other renowned international institutions. His exposure to global best practices greatly enriched public financial management and administrative reform initiatives in Sri Lanka.
Leadership in Public Administration and Finance
During his tenure in the public service, Mr. Samaraweera held several pivotal positions, including Director Budget at the General Treasury, Controller of Imports and Exports, Senior Assistant Secretary to key Ministries, and Deputy Director of Policy at the Ministry of Public Administration. His role in national budgeting, fiscal discipline, and public expenditure management during critical reform periods was widely acknowledged and respected.
He also served with distinction on COPA and COPE as a Treasury Officer and represented the Treasury at the Salaries Commission, contributing significantly to rationalizing cadre structures and resolving long-standing salary anomalies across public institutions.
Consultancy and Institutional Reform
As a consultant, Mr. Samaraweera’s contribution was both extensive and transformative. He was involved in organizational restructuring, cadre determination, formulation of administrative and financial rules, strategic and corporate planning, and performance reviews of numerous government departments, provincial councils, public enterprises, and statutory bodies.
His consultancy portfolio included landmark assignments with the Mahaweli Authority, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, National Water Supply and Drainage Board, Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board, Department of Immigration and Emigration, Provincial Councils, and many others. His work under ADB- and World Bank–assisted projects demonstrated his ability to align international development frameworks with local realities.
Notably, he played a key role in administrative reforms following the 13th Amendment, pension scheme formulation for tea smallholders, and the restructuring of major public enterprises, leaving behind systems that continue to guide institutional governance.
Teacher, Mentor, and Scholar
Beyond administration, Mr. Samaraweera was a dedicated academic and mentor. He served for decades as a Visiting and Senior Visiting Lecturer at SLIDA, PIM, NIE, and the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. He was instrumental in introducing and developing the subject of Public Financial Management in postgraduate education, particularly within the Master of Public Administration program at PIM.
As a Course Coordinator of the MPA program, he shaped curricula, mentored young administrators, and upheld high academic standards. Many senior public officers today recall him as a teacher who combined discipline with encouragement and intellectual honesty.
Grassroots Development and Social Commitment
What set Mr. Samaraweera apart was his early and sustained engagement in grassroots development. From organizing youth agricultural farms in Vavuniya, restoring irrigation structures, mobilizing unemployed youth and farmers, to forming village banks and farmer organizations, his work reflected a deep empathy for rural livelihoods and self-reliance.
Later, he contributed to ICT-based development initiatives, youth training, farmer enterprise development, and digital inclusion projects, including large-scale national programs supported by the ADB.
Professional Leadership and Legacy
Mr. Samaraweera served as Secretary and Deputy President of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service Association, and was a life member of several professional bodies.
He also held board and governing council positions in key national institutions, contributing policy insight and ethical leadership.
Until his final years, he continued to work actively as Senior Consultant at Highflyer Global (Pvt) Ltd and as Chairman of the SAFE Foundation, demonstrating that service, for him, was a lifelong calling rather than a career phase.
A Lasting Tribute
Mr. Ranjan Samaraweera will be remembered as a principled administrator, an insightful consultant, a committed teacher, and a compassionate development practitioner. His legacy lives on in the institutions he strengthened, the policies he shaped, the students he mentored, and the communities he empowered.
At a time when public service demands both competence and conscience, his life stands as a model worth emulating. Sri Lanka is deeply indebted to his service.
May he attain the supreme peace.
