In 1958, he joined the Central Bank of Ceylon as a junior executive and was promoted as Senior Economist Grade 2 in 1963.[3] He served on secondment for two years in the Ministry of Plantation Industries as the Ministry Colvin R. de Silva's Economic Advisor and Director Planning. After returning to the Central Bank as Deputy Director Economic Research, he was appointed the general manager of the Bank of Ceylon on which he served from 1976 to 1977.[3] Thereafter he served in the Land Reforms Commission and as Director Settlements.[2]
He returned to the Central Bank as Director of Economic Research and was appointed the International Monetary Fund Executive Director for Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh based in Washington, from 1981 to 1986. In 1986, he returned to the Central Bank as its Deputy Governor and was later appointed Secretary to the Ministry of Industries, Scientific Affairs. In 1994, he was appointed Chairman of the Bank of Ceylon and shortly took over as Secretary of the Treasury, a post he would hold until 1995. In 1998, he was appointed Governor of the Central Bank which he held until retirement in 2004.[3]