It is reported that he Colombo Port City Project and the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka are to come under founder of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) - Basil Rajapaksa, who is to be sworn in as the Cabinet Minister of Economic Development and the State Minister of Finance.
The Port City project currently falls under the Ministry of Urban Development which is headed by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Meanwhile, the BOI, is under Namal Rajapaksa's state ministry of Digital Technology and Investment Promotion.
In addition, a number of institutions currently under the purview of the ministries under the President, PM, as well as ministers Chamal and Namal Rajapaksa, are to be transferred to the new Economic Development ministry, government sources said.
Basil Rajapaksa is scheduled to be sworn in as a National List member of Parliament next Thursday (08) and is expected to be sworn in as State Minister of Economic Development and Finance on the same day or the day after, reports say.
He also served as the Minister of Economic Development in the previous Mahinda Rajapaksa government, before the 'Good Governance' government swept into power in 2015.
Not state minister but minister?
Meanwhile, the 'Deshaya' newspaper has reported that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is still the Minister of Finance, will be the Minister of Housing, Urban Development, Buddhasasana, Religious Affairs and Culture.
The newspaper also says that although previous reports cited Basil Rajapaksa would be sworn in as the State Minister of Finance, he is actually going to be appointed as the Minister of Finance.
However, the decision will be in motion only after Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa agrees to appoint Basil Rajapaksa as the Minister of Finance, it adds.
(Mirror)