Basil appointed as new Minister of Finance with more powers & institutions under his disposal

National Organizer and political strategist of Sri Lanka Podhujana Peramuna (SLPP) Basil Rajapaksa has been appointed as new Minister of Finance today at the Presidential Secretariat.

Mr Rajapaksa is replacing his brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who held the post earlier. Some 17 State institutions including General Treasury are vested under the Ministry of Finance along with seven other institutions which are to be liquidated with other state agencies.

Prime Minister Rajapaksa is appointed as  Minister of Economic Policies and Plan Implementation, a new Ministry formed by the Presidential Secretariat through an Extra-Ordinary Gazette issued last night.

A new Ministry has been instituted as 'Ministry of Economic Policies and Plan Implementation' bringing various institutions that were held under Finance Ministry and other related State Ministries.

Meanwhile Mr Rajapaksa also took oaths as Member of Parliament today at the Parliament in the presence of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

Earlier Election Commission issued an Extraordinary Gazette notification today declaring Basil Rajapaksa as National list Parliamentarian of after a sitting National list MP of the party resigned from his seat yesterday.

The development came after Secretary General of the Parliament informed the Election Commission under Section 64(5) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981, as amended by Section 6 of the Elections (Special Provisions) Act, No. 35 of 1988, that a vacancy has occurred in the membership of Parliament by reason of the resignation of SLPP MP Ketagoda Gamage Jayantha Perera.

Later Secretary of SLPP nominated Basil Rajapaksa to fill the vacant post.