The government issued a special gazette notification earlier today establishing a new ministry.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa via the gazatte notification announced that a new ministry will be set up under the banner 'Economic Policies and Plan Implementation'.

The notification also showed that a number of portfolios and institutions, including that of the Finance Ministry, has been changed.

The new ministry will be placed under Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa as Basil Rajapaksa was sworn in as Minister of Finance this morning.