| Post: | Governor |
| Body: | Central Bank of Sri Lanka |
| Flag: | Emblem of Sri Lanka.svg |
| Flagsize: | 50 |
| Incumbent: | P. Nandalal Weerasinghe |
| Incumbentsince: | 7 April 2022 |
| Member Of: | Monetary Board of Central Bank of Sri Lanka |
| Residence: | Bank House, Colombo |
| Appointer: | President of Sri Lanka |
| Termlength: | 6 Years |
| First: | John Exter |
| Website: | Governors of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka |
The Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) functions as the chief executive of the Sri Lankan central bank. The post is the ex-officio chairperson of the Monetary Board of Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Since its establishment in 1950, the CBSL has been headed by sixteen governors. The governor has two deputies and several assistant governors. The inaugural officeholder was the American John Exter who served the Government of Sri Lanka in helping found the central bank. The position is currently held by Nandalal Weerasinghe who was appointed to the office on 8 April 2022.[1]
The term of office lasts for six years and includes several privileges in form of allowances. This includes use of the Bank House as the official residence, transport and security provided by the CBSL. The governor is entitled to a pension. In the order of precedence, the governor is equivalent to a cabinet minister.[2]
| Governor | Took office | Left office | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 August 1950 | 30 June 1953 | D. S. Senanayake | |
| 2 | 1 July 1953 | 13 October 1954 | Dudley Senanayake | |
| 3 | 14 October 1954 | 30 June 1959 | John Kotelawala | |
| 4 | 1 July 1959 | 30 August 1967 | S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike | |
| 5 | 31 August 1967 | 31 May 1971 | Dudley Senanayake | |
| 6 | 1 July 1971 | 22 January 1979 | Sirimavo Bandaranaike | |
| 7 | 15 February 1979 | 18 November 1988 | J. R. Jayewardene | |
| 8 | 19 November 1988 | 30 June 1992 | ||
| 9 | 1 July 1992 | 14 November 1995 | Ranasinghe Premadasa | |
| 10 | 15 November 1995 | 30 June 2004 | Chandrika Kumaratunga | |
| 11 | Sunil Mendis | 1 July 2004 | 30 June 2006 | |
| 12 | 1 July 2006 | 9 January 2015 | Mahinda Rajapaksa | |
| 13 | 26 January 2015 | 30 June 2016 | Maithripala Sirisena | |
| 14 | 2 July 2016 | 20 December 2019 | ||
| 15 | 24 December 2019 | 14 September 2021 | Gotabaya Rajapaksa | |
| 16 | 15 September 2021 | 4 April 2022 | ||
| 17 | 8 April 2022 | present |