State Finance minister - Abeywardena, is currently functioning as Acting Finance minister in the absence of Finance minister Ravi Karunanayake, who is in Japan with President Maithripala Sirisena for the G-7 summit.

However, Abeywardena had not arrived at the ministry in the last few days, compelling a ministry official to visit Abeywardena residence to obtain the latter's signature for several urgent dossiers.

However, Abeywardena had severely criticised minister Karunanayake while flatly refusing to sign the dossiers.

The state minister had said that Karunanayake functions as the finance minister while completely disregarding him and that he has not received anything other than a table and a chair.

According to sources from the ministry, the Acting Finance minister refusing to sign urgent ministry dossiers in this manner has disrupted several urgent government matters.