During President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tour of Japan and the Philippines, the state ministers of the ministries under the purview of the President, will be appointed as acting ministers to oversee their operations, the President’s office said yesterday.

State Minister Premitha Bandara has been appointed as the Acting Defence Minister, State Minister Shehan Semasinghe as the Acting Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies, State Minister Dilum Amunugama as the Acting Minister of Investment Promotion, State Minister Kanaka Herath as the Acting Minister of Technology and State Minister Anupa Pasqual has been appointed as the Acting Minister of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment.