Dhammika appointed Investment Promotion Minister

Business leader turned Member of Parliament Dhammika Perera was sworn in as the Investment Promotion Minister by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday.

The appointment ends weeks of speculation and controversy and follows Dhammika being sworn in as a National List MP of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna on Wednesday after the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed all five Fundamental Rights petitions against the appointment.

He filled the vacancy created by the resignation of former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

Dhammika also handed over his declaration of assets and liabilities and the tax clearance report to the Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. This move was described as a sign of fresh change in the political arena in Sri Lanka by Dhammika.

Soon after taking oaths, Dhammika tweeted: “I fully commit myself to serve the citizens of Sri Lanka to overcome the current economic crisis.”

Separately speaking to the media on his way out of Parliament, Dhammika expressed confidence in creating job opportunities and introducing new ways to generate more foreign exchange inflows to overcome the economic crisis.

Born on 28 December 1967 in Katukurunda, Kalutara, he is an alumnus of Thakshila College, Horana. He also holds a National Diploma in Technology (NDT) from the University of Moratuwa.

Dhammika is the major shareholder of Sri Lanka’s most diversified blue chip Hayleys PLC and investment holding entity Vallibel One PLC among several others. He resigned from the Boards of these and several subsidiary companies recently to take up the National List MP and Ministerial post.