Former Deputy Minister – Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma has officially been appointed as the new Secretary to the Ministry of Finance.

The letter of appointment was handed over to Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma by the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake this morning (23) at the Presidential Secretariat.He was appointed to the post after the recent retirement of former Finance Secretary – Mahinda Siriwardana.

Dr. Suriyapperuma, who served as a National List Member of Parliament representing the National People’s Power (NPP) and former Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, had tendered his resignation from Parliament last week.

Dr. Suriyapperuma has been involved in capital market regulation for several years as a Director of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, which operates under the Ministry of Finance.

He successfully elevated Sri Lanka’s ranking in the “Protecting Minority Investors” indicator within the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business, from 74th to 28th globally.

He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Postgraduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura and a Doctorate from the Management and Science University, Malaysia.

He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Suriyapperuma has represented the capital market as a member of the Anti-Money Laundering Task Force and has contributed to the formulation of current financial sector policies, including those for listing small and medium-sized enterprises.

Furthermore, he has held several key positions in leading private sector companies, including Chief Executive Officer roles.

The Coconut Cultivation Board has announced the launch of a special program titled ‘Pol Desathiya’ (Coconut Fortnight) as an immediate measure to combat pests including whiteflies, which pose a significant threat to coconut cultivation.

The first phase of the program is scheduled to commence on July 14, with initial operations focusing on the Jaffna district, according to the Chairman of the Coconut Cultivation Board – Dr. Sunimal Jayakody.

“We have decided to declare a Coconut Fortnight across all districts and implement it as an urgent response to the whitefly infestation,” 

Dr. Jayakody further states that the programme will be conducted in all districts.

“We will start from Jaffna. As a solution to the whitefly issue, all the coconut trees in the Jaffna district will be sprayed with water and washed. This is a large-scale operation, but we are currently preparing the necessary manpower and machinery for it,” he added.

A shooting incident was reported early this morning (June 23) in Akmeemana, Galle.
Two persons on a motorcycle have opened fire at a residence on Dissanayake Mawatha in the Wewegodawatte area around 5.00am.

The shooting had been carried out using a 9mm pistol, and the suspects reportedly fled the scene afterward. 

According to reports, no injuries have been reported.

The owner of the house is employed as an executive at a factory in the Midigama area and was dismissed from his job a few days ago due to an issue with another employee. The police also stated that the employee in question had previously threatened him over the phone.

Accordingly, the police suspect that this individual may have carried out the shooting.

Further investigations are underway.