On Tuesday night, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, legislator Vijitha Herath, and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake of Sri Lanka established a new Cabinet of Ministers.
As per the report by Xinhua news agency, Dissanayake would take charge of defense, finance, economic development, policy formation, planning, tourism, energy, agriculture, lands, livestock, irrigation, fisheries, and aquatic resources.
In keeping with pledges to assist the underprivileged in the country, Dissanayake, 55, has assumed personal responsibility for the crucial finance portfolio as Sri Lanka attempts to emerge from its worst economic crisis in seventy years and its first default on debt.
The fiery politician with a Marxist leaning will also be in charge of tourism and economic development inside the government.
Dissanayake’s intentions to slash taxes and desire to revisit the terms of a $2.9 billion International Monetary Fund bailout have worried investors, who fear that it could delay a crucial $25 billion debt restructuring.
His comments during Monday’s inauguration offered few clues as to how hardline his economic approach will be.
“Our politics needs to be cleaner, and the people have called for a different political culture,” the 55-year-old said.
“I am ready to commit to that change.”
Dissanayake ran in Saturday’s presidential election as the candidate for the National People’s Power coalition, which includes his Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Party that traditionally championed Marxist economic policies centred on protectionism and state intervention. In recent years the party has taken more centrist positions.
Earlier, Amarasuriya was sworn in as the Prime Minister, and was appointed as the Minister of justice, public administration, provincial councils, local government, education, science and technology, labour, women, child and youth affairs, sports, trade, commerce, food security, co-operative development, industries and entrepreneur development, and health.
Herath was assigned the Minister of Buddhist affairs, religious and cultural affairs, national integration, social security, mass media, transport, highways, ports and civil aviation, public security, foreign affairs, environment, wildlife, forest resources, water supply, plantation and community, infrastructure, rural and urban development, housing and construction.
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