Bandula appointed as Sri Lanka’s International Trade Minister

ECONOMYNEXT – President Maithripala Sirisena has appointed Bandula Gunewardene as the Minister of International Trade and Investment Promotion and Anura Priyadarshana Yapa as State Minister for Finance, his office said in a statement.

Laksman Wasantha Perera has been appointed as State Minster for International Trade and CB Ratnayake as State Minister for Transport.

Pavithra Wanniarachchi was appointed State Minister of Petroleum Resource Development, Salinda Dissanayake  State Minister of Indigenous Medicine and S. M. Chandrasena State Minister of Social Empowerment.

Chamal Rajapaksa, brother of newly appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, was named as the Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine.

S. B. Dissanayake is Minister of Highways and Road Development, while Susil Premajayantha is Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs and Justice.

Several ministry secretaries have also been appointed.

Manusha Nanayakkara, who was named Deputy Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment in the new government, resigned on Monday and crossed over to the ousted United National Party, after a statement from Speaker of the Parliament Karu Jayasuriya said the President’s moves to appoint Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister were undemocratic and unconstitutional.

The full list of ministers so far appointed:

Ministers:

1. Mahinda Rajapaksa- Finance and Economic Affairs
2. Nimal Siripala de Silva- Transport and Civil Aviation
3. Sarath Amunugama- Foreign Affairs
4. Mahinda Samarasinghe- Ports and Shipping
5. Mahinda Amaraweera- Agriculture
6. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya- Power and Renewable Energy
7. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe- Education and Higher Education
8. Wihith Wijayamuni Zoysa- Fisheries & Aquatic Resources Development and Rural Economic Affairs
9. Faiszer Musthapha- Provincial Councils, Local Government and Sports
10. Douglas Devananda- Resettlement, Rehabilitation, Northern Development and Hindu Religious Affairs
11. Arumugam Thondaman- Hill Country New Villages, Infrastructure and Community Development
12. Vasantha Senanayake- Tourism and Wildlife
13. Dinesh Gunawardena- Megapolis and Western Development
14. Wasudeva Nanayakkara- National Integration, Reconciliation and Official Languages
15. S. B Nawinne- Cultural Affairs, Internal Affairs and Regiona Development 
16. Duminda Dissanayake- Irrigation, Water Resources and Disaster Management
17. Dayasiri Jayasekara- Skills Development and Vocational Training
18. Chamal Rajapaksa- Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine
19. S. B. Dissanayake- Highways and Road Development
20. Susil Premajayantha- Public Administration, Home Affairs and Justice
21. Bandula Gunawardena- International Trade and Investment Promotion

State Ministers:

1. Suresh Vadivel- Plantation Industries
2. Keheliya Rambukwella- Mass Media and Digital Infrastructure
3. A. H. M. Fowzie- National Unity, Co-existence and Muslim Religious Affairs
4. Piyasena Gamage- Youth, Women and Child Affairs
5. Lakshman Senewiratne- Defence
6. M. L. A. M. Hizbullah- Highways and Road Development
7. Mohan Lal Grero- Education and Higher Education
8. Sriyani Wijewickrama- Provincial Councils, Local Government and Sports
9. Pavithra Wanniarachchi- Petroleum Resource Development
10. Anura Priyadarshana Yapa- Finance
11. Salinda Dissanayake- Indigenous Medicine
12. C. B. Ratnayake- Transport
13. S. M. Chandrasena-Social Empowerment 
14. Lakshman Wasantha Perera: International Trade 

Deputy Minister

1. Ananda Aluthgamage- Tourism and Wildlife
2. Ashoka Priyantha- Cultural, Internal Affairs and Regional Development (North Western)
3. S. Viyalendiran- Regional Development (Eastern)
4. Angajan Ramanathan- Agriculture
5. Indika Bandaranayake- Housing and Urban Devlopment
6. Sarathi Dushmantha- Justice and Prison Reforms
7. Nishantha Muthuhettigamage- Ports and Shipping 
8. Kader Kader Masthan- Resettlement, Rehabilitation and Northern Development