{"id":66325,"date":"2017-05-22T10:54:21","date_gmt":"2017-05-22T16:54:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=66325"},"modified":"2017-05-22T03:26:53","modified_gmt":"2017-05-22T10:26:53","slug":"sri-lanka-president-replaces-chartered-accountant-finance-ministers-with-a-london-qualified-clothing-designer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2017\/05\/22\/sri-lanka-president-replaces-chartered-accountant-finance-ministers-with-a-london-qualified-clothing-designer\/","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lanka president replaces chartered accountant finance ministers with a London qualified clothing designer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sri Lanka News<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena switched the foreign and finance ministers in a major cabinet reshuffle on Monday.<\/p>\n

Managala Samaraweera, who has been foreign minister since January 2015, was appointed as finance and media minister. He swaps roles with Ravi Karunanayake who is a chartered accountant who will takes over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.<\/p>\n

New finance minister in Sri Lanka is a graduate in Clothing Design and Technology at\u00a0St. Martin’s School of Art<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0London<\/a>, he served as a design consultant to the National Design Center of Sri Lanka prior to his political career.<\/p>\n

Saint Martin’s School of Art<\/strong>\u00a0was an\u00a0art college<\/a>\u00a0in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1854, initially under the aegis of the church of\u00a0St Martin-in-the-Fields<\/a>. Saint Martin’s became part of the\u00a0London Institute<\/a>\u00a0in 1986,[1]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0and in 1989 merged with the\u00a0Central School of Art and Design<\/a>\u00a0to form\u00a0Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design<\/a>.[2]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Eight more ministerial portfolios of Cabinet Ministers and a State Minister have also been changed today, as the much awaited cabinet reshuffle took place this morning (22) today.<\/p>\n

The ministers took oaths in their new portfolios at the Presidential Secretariat before President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.<\/p>\n

This Cabinet reshuffle will provide a new impetus to Sri Lanka\u2019s development,\u201d the President said in a Twitter post.<\/p>\n

Cabinet Ministers:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mangala Samaraweera \u2013 Minister of Finance and Mass Media
\nRavi Karunanayake \u2013 Minister of Foreign Affairs
\nTilak Marapana \u2013 Minister of Development Assignments
\nGayantha Karunathilaka – Minister of Lands and Parliamentary Reforms
\nArjuna Ranatunga \u2013 Minister of Petroleum Resources Development
\nChandima Weerakkody – Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Training
\nS.B. Dissanayake – Minister of Social Empowerment, Welfare and Kandyan Heritage
\nMahinda Samarasinghe \u2013 Minister of Ports and Shipping
\nW.D.J. Seneviratne – Minister of Labour and Trade Union Relations and Sabaragamuwa Development<\/p>\n

State Ministers:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mahinda Amaraweera \u2013 State Minister of Mahaweli Development (in addition to existing portfolio of Fisheries)<\/p>\n