Mahinda Rajapaksa assumes duties as Minister of Finance

COLOMBO (News 1st) - Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa assumed duties as the Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs, and Policy Development today (November 25). Several officials including the Secretary to the President, P. B. Jayasundara and Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, S. R. Attygala were present at this event. Mahinda Rajapaksa, Prime Minister noted that a people-oriented development plan has already been set and it will be implemented immediately. He added that most of the state officials are afraid when they are summoned to the FCID and added that if they are summoned for the good deeds they have carried out, their safety would be ensured. S.R. Attygala, Secretary Ministry of Finance noted that the president and the government have presented their policy statement and they as the state officials will follow the same policy. The first-ever Minister of Finance appointed an Independent Sri Lanka was J. R. Jayawardena. Thereafter Sir Oliver Gunatillaka, M. D. H. Jayawardena, Stanley de Soyza and H. M. Musthapha held the position of Minister of Finance in Sri Lanka. After that Sir Oliver Goonetilleke was re-appointed to the position of Finance Minister and J. R. Jayawardena held the Ministry for the second time as well. Felix Dias Bandaranaike, C. P De Silva, P. B. G. Kalugalla, T. B. Ilangaratne, and Dr N. M. Perera respectively held the position after the second term of J. R. Jayawardena as the Finance Minister of Sri Lanka. U. B. Wanninayake, N. M. Perera and Felix Dias Bandaranaike were once again appointed to the position and following the Election in 1977, Ronnie de Mel became the Finance Minister of the country. The rest of the list follows as Naina Marikkar, D. B. Wijetunga, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, K. N. Choksy, Dr Sarath Amunugama, and Mahinda Rajapaksa. With the Government of the Good Governance coming into power in 2015, Ravi Karunanayake was appointed to the position and after his resignation, Mangala Samaraweera was appointed in 2017. Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa assumed duties today as the 26th Finance Minister of Sri Lanka.