Minister of Finance (Sri Lanka)

Minister of Finance of Sri Lanka
Minister of Finance of Sri Lanka
මුදල්, ආර්ථික ස්ථායිකරණ සහ ජාතික ප්‍රතිපත්ති අමාත්‍ය; நிதி, பொருளாதார நிலைப்படுத்தல் மற்றும் தேசிய கொள்கைகள் அமைச்சர்
	Incumbent; Anura Kumara Dissanayake; since 24 September 2024
	Ministry of Finance
Appointer	The President with advice of Prime Minister
Inaugural holder	Junius Richard Jayewardene
Formation	26 September 1947
Website	www.treasury.gov.lk

The Minister of Finance^[1] (Sinhala: මුදල්, ආර්ථික ස්ථායිකරණ සහ ජාතික ප්‍රතිපත්ති අමාත්‍ය; Tamil: நிதி, பொருளாதார நிலைப்படுத்தல் மற்றும் தேசிய கொள்கைகள் அமைச்சர்) is an appointment in the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. The post was created in 1947 when Ceylon gained independence as Sri Lanka.

History

The position of Treasurer of Ceylon of the British Government of Ceylon dates back to the early nineteenth century and was succeeded by the post of Financial Secretary of Ceylon under the recommendations of the Donoughmore Commission. The post of Ministry of Finance and the Treasury of Ceylon was established in 1947 under the recommendations of the Soulbury Commission under the Ceylon Independence Act, 1947 and The Ceylon (Constitution and Independence) Orders in Council 1947.^[2] A young J.R Jayawardena, became the first Minister of Finance of independence Ceylon. Over time the Ministry took over the policy planning which it currently undertakes.

Beginning 4 April 2022, Ali Sabry was appointed as the new minister, replacing Basil Rajapaksa (brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa) in the position; However, due to the worsening of the financial crisis, Sabry tendered his resignation 5 April 2022, having served only a day in office;^[3]^[4] However, Sabry later decided to continue serving in the capacity of finance minister.^[5]

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed finance minister by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Upon assuming the Presidency himself, Wickremesinghe remained Finance Minister.^[6]^[7]

List of Finance Ministers

Parties

United National Party (10) Sri Lanka Freedom Party (9) Lanka Sama Samaja Party (1) Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (3) National People's Power (1)

	Party	Tenure		Ministerial title
Junius Richard Jayewardene (1st term)	United National Party	26 September 1947 – 13 October 1953	Don Stephen Senanayake	Ministry of Finance and the Treasury of Ceylon
Junius Richard Jayewardene (1st term)	United National Party	26 September 1947 – 13 October 1953	Dudley Senanayake
Oliver Goonetilleke (1st term)	United National Party	14 October 1953 – 30 June 1954	John Kotelawala
M. D. H. Jayawardena	United National Party	1 July 1954 – 18 February 1956	John Kotelawala	Ministry of Finance
Stanley de Zoysa	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	12 April 1956 – 22 November 1959	S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
Stanley de Zoysa	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	12 April 1956 – 22 November 1959	Wijeyananda Dahanayake
M. M. Mustapha	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	22 November 1959 – 5 December 1959	Wijeyananda Dahanayake
Oliver Goonetilleke (2nd term)	United National Party	21 March 1960 – 23 April 1960	Dudley Senanayake
J. R. Jayewardene (2nd term)	United National Party	24 April 1960 – 20 July 1960	Dudley Senanayake
Felix Dias Bandaranaike (1st term)	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	21 July 1960 – 24 August 1962	Sirimavo Bandaranaike
C. P. de Silva	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	28 August 1962 – 8 November 1962
P. B. G. Kalugalla	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	9 November 1962 – 10 May 1963
T. B. Ilangaratne	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	29 May 1963 – 10 June 1964
N. M. Perera (1st term)	Lanka Sama Samaja Party	11 June 1964 – 17 December 1964
U. B. Wanninayake	United National Party	27 March 1965 – 25 March 1970	Dudley Senanayake
N. M. Perera (2nd term)	Lanka Sama Samaja Party	10 May 1970 – 2 September 1975	Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Felix Dias Bandaranaike (2nd term)	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	3 September 1975 – 18 May 1977	Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Ronnie de Mel	United National Party	23 July 1977 – 18 January 1988	Junius Richard Jayewardene
M. H. M. Naina Marikar	United National Party	18 January 1988 – 3 January 1989	Ranasinghe Premadasa
Dingiri Banda Wijetunga	United National Party	18 February 1989 – 31 August 1994	Ranasinghe Premadasa
Dingiri Banda Wijetunga	United National Party	18 February 1989 – 31 August 1994	Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
Chandrika Kumaratunga	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	30 September 1994 – 5 December 2001	Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
Chandrika Kumaratunga	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	30 September 1994 – 5 December 2001	Chandrika Kumaratunga
K. N. Choksy	United National Party	12 December 2001 – 2 April 2004
Sarath Amunugama	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	14 April 2004 – 22 November 2005
Mahinda Rajapaksa	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	23 November 2005 – 9 January 2015	Mahinda Rajapaksa
Ravi Karunanayake	United National Party	12 January 2015 – 22 May 2017	Maithripala Sirisena
Mangala Samaraweera	United National Party	22 May 2017 - 17 November 2019	Maithripala Sirisena
Mahinda Rajapaksa	Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna	22 November 2019 – 8 July 2021	Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Basil Rajapaksa	Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna	8 July 2021 – 4 April 2022
Ali Sabry	Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna	4 April 2022 – 9 May 2022
Ranil Wickremesinghe	United National Party	25 May 2022 – 23 September 2024
Ranil Wickremesinghe	United National Party	25 May 2022 – 23 September 2024	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Anura Kumara Dissanayake	National People's Power	24 September 2024 - Present	Anura Kumara Dissanayake	Minister of Finance, Economic Development, Policy Formulation, Planning and Tourism

List of Parliamentary secretaries

Herbert Eric Jansz 17.05.1948 10.09.1950
Louis Lucien Hunter 20.09.1950 02.04.1952
Louis Lucien Hunter 02.06.1952 29.04.1953
M. D. H. Jayawardena 19.10.1953 01.07.1954
U. B. Wanninayake 01.07.1954 27.04.1955
Chandradasa Wijesinghe 25.04.1956 10.09.1958
Nimal Karunatilake 18.11.1958 19.05.1959
Meeralebbe Poddy Mohamed Mustapha 25.06.1959 22.11.1959
Dayasena Pasqual 22.11.1959 05.12.1959
George Rajapaksa 29.07.1960 20.06.1962
R. S. V. Poulier 28.08.1962 06.05.1963
Mudiyanse Tennakoon 30.05.1963 12.03.1964
James Peter Obeyesekere III 22.06.1964 17.12.1964
Noel Wimalasena 29.03.1965 25.03.1970

Deputy ministers

Neal de Alwis 01.10.1975 04.02.1977
Festus Perera 23.07.1977 05.02.1978
M. H. M. Naina Marikar 06.02.1978 19.01.1988
John Amaratunga 19.01.1988 09.01.1989
Harold Herath 18.02.1989 28.03.1999
Harold Herath 30.03.1990 15.08.1994
Jeyaraj Fernandopulle 01.09.1994 12.11.1994
G. L. Peiris 24.11.1994 09.08.2000
G. L. Peiris 16.08.2000 10.10.2000
G. L. Peiris 25.11.2000 13.09.2001
S. B. Dissanayake 25.11.2000 13.09.2001
Mangala Samaraweera 14.09.2001 07.12.2001
Bandula Gunawardane 12.12.2001 07.02.2004
Ranjith Siyambalapitiya 14.04.2004 26.04.2010
Sarath Amunugama 17.01.2009 26.04.2010
Chandrasiri Gajadeera 27.04.2010 21.11.2010
Sarath Amunugama 10.05.2010 21.11.2010
Gitanjana Gunawardena 26.11.2010 - 2015
Ajith Nivard Cabraal 2020 - 2021

References

^ "Extra Gazette No. 2281/41 of 27.05.2022 (Duties and Functions)" (PDF). documents.gov.lk. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
^ "1942 Ferguson's Ceylon Directory". Ferguson's Directory. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
^ "Sabry appointed as Sri Lanka's finance minister". Reuters. 4 April 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
^ "Sri Lanka's finance minister resigns a day after being sworn in - letter". Reuters. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
^ "Sri Lankan Finance Minister Who Quit After A Day Returns To Position". New Delhi Television Ltd. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
^ "Sri Lanka PM Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed Finance Minister by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa". The Hindu. PTI. 2022-05-25. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
^ "Sri Lanka president expected to keep finance portfolio - source". Reuters. 2022-07-22. Retrieved 2022-08-10.

External links

[1] "Extra Gazette No. 2281/41 of 27.05.2022 (Duties and Functions)" (PDF). documents.gov.lk. Retrieved 2022-06-10.

[2] "1942 Ferguson's Ceylon Directory". Ferguson's Directory. Retrieved 30 July 2021.

[3] "Sabry appointed as Sri Lanka's finance minister". Reuters. 4 April 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.

[4] "Sri Lanka's finance minister resigns a day after being sworn in - letter". Reuters. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.

[5] "Sri Lankan Finance Minister Who Quit After A Day Returns To Position". New Delhi Television Ltd. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.

[6] "Sri Lanka PM Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed Finance Minister by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa". The Hindu. PTI. 2022-05-25. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2022-08-10.

[7] "Sri Lanka president expected to keep finance portfolio - source". Reuters. 2022-07-22. Retrieved 2022-08-10.

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