President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa have made a bold decision by entrusting the responsibilities of managing the Plantation Industry to three law makers who have never held a ministerial portfolio before. Dr. Ramesh Pathirana was appointed Cabinet Minister of Plantation Industries, while Janaka Wakkumbura and Kanchana Wijesekera were appointed as State Ministers.
Speaking on the occasion when Tea Industry Development State Minister Kanchana Wijesekera assumed duties on Friday, Minister Dr. Pathirana pledged that he together with two state ministers Wakkumbura and Wijesekera would do their utmost in the next few months to uplift the Plantation industry and make the government’s promise of a prosperous nation a reality.
State Minister Wijesekera, who was elected to Parliament from the Matara District in 2015, thanked the President and Prime minister for placing their trust in him and giving him an opportunity to contribute towards fullfilling the government’s vision of prosperity and splendor.
Wijesekera said that he was entrusted responsibilities at a time the tea industry was facing a crisis affecting all stakeholders and over 200 tea factories having been forced to close.
He said that one of his first priorities would be to re-establish the lost status of ‘Ceylon Tea’.
He said that the Cabinet decision to reduce taxes was the foundation for rapid growth in the economy and will have a positive impact on the agricultural and plantation sectors.
Members of the Clergy, Education, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Dullas Alahapperuma, State Ministers Janaka Wakkumbura, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Kanaka Herath and Secretary to the Ministry of Plantation Industries Ravindra Hewavitharana were also present.