| Post: | Minister of Finance |
| Body: | Sri Lanka |
| Nativename: | Sinhala; Sinhalese: මුදල්, ආර්ථික ස්ථායිකරණ සහ ජාතික ප්රතිපත්ති අමාත්ය Tamil: நிதி, பொருளாதார நிலைப்படுத்தல் மற்றும் தேசிய கொள்கைகள் அமைச்சர் |
| Insignia: | Emblem of Sri Lanka.svg |
| Insigniasize: | 50 |
| Department: | Ministry of Finance |
| Incumbent: | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
| Incumbentsince: | 25 May 2022 |
| Appointer: | The President with advice of Prime Minister |
| Inaugural: | Junius Richard Jayewardene |
| Formation: | 26 September 1947 |
The Minister of Finance[1] (Sinhala; Sinhalese: මුදල්, ආර්ථික ස්ථායිකරණ සහ ජාතික ප්රතිපත්ති අමාත්ය; Tamil: நிதி, பொருளாதார நிலைப்படுத்தல் மற்றும் தேசிய கொள்கைகள் அமைச்சர்) is an appointment in the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. The post was created in 1947 when Ceylon gained independence as Sri Lanka.
The position of Treasurer of Ceylon of the British Government of Ceylon dates back to the early nineteenth century and was succeeded by the post of Financial Secretary of Ceylon under the recommendations of the Donoughmore Commission. The post of Ministry of Finance and the Treasury of Ceylon was established in 1947 under the recommendations of the Soulbury Commission under the Ceylon Independence Act, 1947 and The Ceylon (Constitution and Independence) Orders in Council 1947.[2] A young J.R Jayawardena, became the first Minister of Finance of independence Ceylon. Over time the Ministry took over the policy planning which it currently undertakes.
Beginning 4 April 2022, Ali Sabry was appointed as the new minister, replacing Basil Rajapaksa (brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa) in the position; However, due to the worsening of the financial crisis, Sabry tendered his resignation 5 April 2022, having served only a day in office;[3] [4] However, Sabry later decided to continue serving in the capacity of finance minister.[5]
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed finance minister by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Upon assuming the Presidency himself, Wickremesinghe remained Finance Minister.[6] [7]
| Name | Portrait | Party | Tenure | Government | Ministerial title | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junius Richard Jayewardene (1st term) | 26 September 1947 – 13 October 1953 | Don Stephen Senanayake | Ministry of Finance and the Treasury of Ceylon | ||||
| Oliver Goonetilleke (1st term) | 14 October 1953 – 30 June 1954 | John Kotelawala | |||||
| 1 July 1954 – 18 February 1956 | Ministry of Finance | ||||||
| 12 April 1956 – 22 November 1959 | S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike | ||||||
| Wijeyananda Dahanayake | |||||||
| 22 November 1959 – 5 December 1959 | |||||||
| Oliver Goonetilleke (2nd term) | 21 March 1960 – 23 April 1960 | Dudley Senanayake | |||||
| J. R. Jayewardene (2nd term) | United National Party | 24 April 1960 – 20 July 1960 | |||||
| Felix Dias Bandaranaike (1st term) | 21 July 1960 – 24 August 1962 | Sirimavo Bandaranaike | |||||
| 28 August 1962 – 8 November 1962 | |||||||
| 9 November 1962 – 10 May 1963 | |||||||
| 29 May 1963 – 10 June 1964 | |||||||
| N. M. Perera (1st term) | 11 June 1964 – 17 December 1964 | ||||||
| 27 March 1965 – 25 March 1970 | Dudley Senanayake | ||||||
| N. M. Perera (2nd term) | 10 May 1970 – 2 September 1975 | Sirimavo Bandaranaike | |||||
| Felix Dias Bandaranaike (2nd term) | 3 September 1975 – 18 May 1977 | ||||||
| 23 July 1977 – 18 January 1988 | Junius Richard Jayewardene | ||||||
| 18 January 1988 – 3 January 1989 | |||||||
| 18 February 1989 – 31 August 1994 | |||||||
| 30 September 1994 – 5 December 2001 | |||||||
| Chandrika Kumaratunga | |||||||
| 12 December 2001 – 2 April 2004 | |||||||
| 14 April 2004 – 22 November 2005 | |||||||
| 23 November 2005 – 9 January 2015 | |||||||
| Ravi Karunanayake | 12 January 2015 – 22 May 2017 | ||||||
| Mangala Samaraweera | 22 May 2017 - 17 November 2019 | ||||||
| 22 November 2019 – 8 July 2021 | Gotabaya Rajapaksa | ||||||
| 8 July 2021 – 4 April 2022 | |||||||
| 4 April 2022 – 9 May 2022 | |||||||
| Ranil Wickremesinghe | 25 May 2022 – Present | ||||||
| Ranil Wickremesinghe | |||||||