Dhammika Perera exits boardroom to enter Parliament

From right: Dhammika Perera accepts SLPP membership from SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam

• Resigns from Lanka Walltiles, Dipped Products, Hayleys Fiber, Vallibel One, Royal Ceramics Lanka, Singer, Hayleys, Haycarb and The Kingsbury, among others
• Obtains membership of SLPP; nomination as a Member of Parliament has been sent to Election Commission
• Upon entering Parliament, Perera is tipped to be appointed as Technology and Investment Promotion Minister

Ending weeks of speculation, business tycoon Dhammika Perera yesterday resigned from the director boards of a number of listed companies he controls, where he served in the capacity of Chairman or Co-Chairman, to make way for his entry into politics.

The Colombo Stock Exchange last afternoon witnessed a flood of filings from the companies the magnate held majority shares in, all of which announcing his resignation with immediate effect.

The companies that Perera resigned from include Lanka Walltiles, Dipped Products, Hayleys Fiber, Vallibel One, Royal Ceramics Lanka, Singer (Sri Lanka), Hayleys, Haycarb and The Kingsbury, among others.

The businessman is expected to enter Parliament as a National List MP of Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna (SLPP), filling the SLPP National List parliamentary seat vacated after the resignation of former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, on Wednesday.

 Perera has officially obtained the membership of the SLPP and his nomination as a Member of Parliament has been sent to the Election Commission, the party’s General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam said.

Upon entering Parliament, Perera is tipped to be appointed as the Technology and Investment Promotion Minister, which was gazette by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa this week. 

The Technology and Investment Promotion Ministry includes the Registration of Persons Department, Immigration and Emigration Department, Sri Lanka Telecom and its subsidiaries as well as 15 institutions, including the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Standards Institute.

The role of the new ministry will also be to promote foreign direct investment and private sector investment while promoting economic potential in Sri Lanka.