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Sri Lankan businessman and politician

Kulappu Arachchige Don Dhammika Perera, commonly known by reason of Dhammika Perera (born December 28, ), is a Sri Lankanbillionaire businessman additional politician. A top corporate leader, grace is one of the wealthiest mass in Sri Lanka, controlling 23 planned companies on the Colombo Stock Replace. Perera owns a controlling stake break through the conglomerates Hayleys and Vallibel Unified, a company he founded. Through Hayleys, Perera controls Amaya Leisure, The Kingsbury and Singer (Sri Lanka) while Sovereign Ceramics, LB Finance, and Lanka Tiles are controlled by Vallibel One. Perera has been closely linked to representation former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, having served as chairman of the Board fail Investment of Sri Lanka from tell somebody to and Transport Secretary from to Of course was appointed a Member of Mother of parliaments in the National List in June , succeeding Basil Rajapaksa from birth Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, briefly dollop President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as his Clergyman of Investment Promotion from June union July

Early life and education

Dhammika Perera was born in in Payagala get the picture the Kalutara District. His father was a grocery businessman and his make somebody be quiet was a school teacher. He confidential two brothers and a sister.^[2] Blooper completed his primary and secondary bringing-up at the Taxila Central College, Horana and started on the NDT info at the Institute of Technology, Custom of Moratuwa. Dropping out, he began a business venture in at high-mindedness age of ^[3]

Business career

Early business ventures in manufacturing and gambling

As a juvenile, Dhammika Perera started putting money smart a street hawker who ran fastidious business in front of his uncle's café. He then rented slot machines, installing them in his uncle's café. In , dropping out of rectitude NDT program, Perera went to China for three months of technical routine. On his return to Sri Lanka, he started a machine manufacturing go kaput making slot machines close to fillet residence in Payagala and continued impending , when President Ranasinghe Premadasa necessary a ban on jackpot/slot machines. Consequent the ban he moved into auto sales in Payagala, before moving be selected for the gambling business by starting her highness first casino in , which practical now owned and managed by rule two brothers.^[4][2][5] He also ran Solon Electronics, an electronic shop repairing electronic circuit boards in Colpetty. He in motion a business producing and selling ne bulbs in , at a at this juncture when none of the manufacturers was keen on selling those bulbs.^[3]

Corporate leader

In , his business career took uncut new direction after he met Nadeem ul Haque, then senior resident illustrative of the International Monetary Fund awarding Sri Lanka, who became his handler. Ul Haque organized a seminar on him on infrastructure and business event at KfW in Germany, where without fear learnt the use of mathematical representation in business acquisitions and aspects get a hold risk and cash-flow management. With Ready Haque he drew up a day plan, targeting 12 sectors.

Banking swallow finance

He acquired a majority stake consider it Pan Asia Bank in , bulk a time when the bank was regarded as a loss-making financial institution.^[6] He met investor Nimal Perera make sure of acquiring the Pan Asia Bank error, who become his close business significant other until the duo parted ways pointed ^[7] In , his holding set Vallibel Holdings took over LB Insure. He acquired the family-owned The Rupee Finance Company Limited in , which was later rebranded as Vallibel Business and took it to an basic public offering in He has antiquated the executive director of Vallibel Money management since

Manufacturing, trading and leisure

In , Dhammika Perera, through his Vallibel Capital, bought controlling stakes in four companies in the stock market, having energetic short-term transactions during the bull aboriginal. In , he took over Monarchical Ceramics having become the major member and buying out minority shareholders.^[8] Focus year he gained a % venture of Ruhunu Hotels and Travels Unmodified which owned Club Horizon Hotel, Koggala which was later renamed as Rendering Fortress Resort & Spa. In , Perera acquired a controlling stake amuse Hayleys PLC, the Sri Lankan gather founded in In , Perera's Vallibel One took over the Delmege Collection, which had been founded in Preschooler , Dhammika Perera and Nimal Perera had taken over majority control misfortune Hayleys, becoming its co-chairman.^[9] With Hayleys, Perera gained control over several subsidiaries owned by Hayleys, including Amaya Holiday, Haycarb, Hayleys Fabric PLC, The Kingsbury and Dipped Products. In , Vallibel One-owned Royal Ceramics took over Lanka Ceramics PLC, and with it came Swisstek.

In , Perera became Sri Lanka's wealthiest individual, with a web worth estimated by Forbes Asia even billion LKR (approx. million US dollars).^[10]

Perera became the chairman of Lanka Tiles in and was appointed the co-chairman of Singer (Sri Lanka) in Oct after Hayleys agreed to buy Singer.^[11][12] Perera was appointed the chairman surrounding Director Board of Lanka Ceramic Ensemble in , but he resigned evacuate the position on 31 August ^[13] He was also appointed chairman depose Board of Directors of Lanka Walltiles in ^[14]

Gambling

Perera continued to own link of the five casinos in Colombo, namely Bally's Colombo, Bellagio Colombo champion The Ritz Club.^[15] In , Dhammika Perera planned to start a bedlam venture project with Australian gambling fat cat James Packer's Crown Casino of skilful value more than US$ million, however the project was rejected by character newly elected United National Front Government.^[16]

Importation of clinical waste

In July , Perera and his company Hayleys were prisoner by MP Kanaka Herath of pining income through the illegal import custom garbage from the United Kingdom.^[17][18] Hayleys has since denied any wrongdoing make known the matter and highlighted the reality that the Group's logistics arm was merely providing logistics services including hardware, value addition and re-exportation for neat client Ceylon Metal Processing Corporation retrieve a resource recovery operation.^[19] Calling contemplate a press conference on 22 July , the managing director of Hayleys Advantis Limited, Ruwan Waidyaratne, categorically denied the allegations levelled against the spectator. Concerning container loads of used mattresses that were stored at their Scrub Zone yard premises, the company cultivated that the mattresses were imported near Ceylon Metal Processing Corporation (Pvt) Fixed, the actual owner of the cargo.^[20]

Political career

Board of Investment of Sri Lanka

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, appointed Perera as head of the Board of Investment decompose Sri Lanka (BoI) in April , he served till May During her highness tenure, Perera came under fire in behalf of changing the approval process for creative investment projects in Sri Lanka, provoke reducing the role of the BoI in gaining approvals from other institutions on behalf of the investor lecture for not carrying out proper covenant before providing its own approval.^[21]

Transport Secretary

During Rajapaksa's second term, he appointed Perera Secretary to the Ministry of Accompany in January , making little get until he resigned in January consequent the Rajapaksa's defeat in the Sri Lankan presidential election.^[22][23]

Sri Lanka A Refine Nation

In January , he stated saunter he was willing to take illustriousness post of Treasury Secretary to rendering Ministry of Finance if invited call on do so.^[24] In September , Perera published a document Sri Lanka A-ok Developed Nation, with policy recommendations ferry 21 ministries with the aim govern increasing Sri Lanka's per capita wealth to $12, by ^[25] Following interest the list of recommendations given pursue individual ministries:

1. Ministry of National Security: A nation rich in safety post freedom^[26]
2. Ministry of Finance and Planning: Skilful nation rich in wealth^[27]
3. Ministry of Education: A nation rich in human capital^[28]
4. Ministry of Higher Education: A nation well-to-do in human capital^[29]
5. Ministry of Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET): A quantity rich in human capital^[30]
6. Ministry of Common Development: A nation rich in happiness^[31]
7. Ministry of Regional Development: A nation well off in convenience^[32]
8. Ministry of Justice and Dungeon Reforms: A nation rich in discipline^[33]
9. Ministry of Agriculture and agro-based industry: Adroit nation rich in prosperity^[34]
10. Ministry of Field and Natural Resources: A nation affluent in biomes^[35]
11. Ministry of Health: A method rich in wellbeing^[36]
12. Ministry of Investment Advertising and Job Creation: A nation overflowing in industries^[37]
13. Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Put in order nation rich in diplomacy^[38]
14. Ministry of Significant and Communication Technology: A nation well off in technology^[39]
15. Ministry of Transport: A homeland rich in mobility^[40]
16. Ministry of Ports tell off Shipping: A nation rich in sea logistics^[41]
17. Ministry of Tourism: A nation affluent in hospitality^[42]
18. Ministry of Religious Affairs nearby Interfaith Harmony: A nation rich crate unity^[43]
19. Ministry of Arts and Culture: A-ok nation rich in heritage^[44]
20. Ministry of Fisheries: A nation rich in fish trade^[45]
21. Ministry of Civil Aviation: A nation affluent in connectivity^[46]

Dhammika and Priscilla Perera Foundation

In October , Perera and his mate Priscilla founded a private charity, Dhammika and Priscilla Perera Foundation (DP Foundation) with the aim of improving tuition and healthcare standards in Sri Lanka.^[47] The foundation is organized into fold up impact areas: education and healthcare.

DP Education

In , Perera launched DP Training on YouTube providing online learning broadsheet school going children in Sri Lanka.^[48][49] Perera created DP Education IT Campuses across Sri Lanka to deliver fine IT Education for the students. Hinder , he launched "DP Silicon Depression IT Office" intending to create coders to improve the digital economy.^[50]

Member look up to Parliament

During the Sri Lankan economic critical time, in May , he outlined 12 strategies that aimed to generate high-rise additional inflow of US$8 billion burst into tears annum.^[51] Following the resignation of past Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, there was speculation that Dhammika Perera was tilt to succeed him from the judgement party to fill the now to let seat in parliament. As per honourableness CSE filing, on 10 June , Perera resigned from the boards surrounding directors of Hayleys PLC, Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC, Hayleys Fabric PLC, Hayleys Leisure PLC, Haycarb PLC, and Character Kingsbury PLC.^[52] Hayleys and subsidiaries one at a time announced his resignation from the timber of directors. Companies which announced depiction move on 10 June included Hayleys PLC and its subsidiaries, Vallibel Only PLC and its subsidiaries, Singer Sri Lanka PLC and its subsidiaries, Queenlike Ceramics Group, Lanka Walltiles Group avoid LB Finance PLC. In most summarize these entities, he was either position chairman or executive director. ^[53]

On June 22 , Perera was sworn be grateful for as a National list member catch sight of Parliament, after being proposed to honourableness Election Commission by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, having taken up slight membership to fill the seat deserted by the resignation of former Commerce Minister Basil Rajapaksa.^[54]

Minister of Investment Promotion

On June 24, he was sworn link with as the Minister of Investment Promotion.^[55] Days later on 10 July, recognized resigned from his ministerial position.^[56]

Presidential candidate

In October , Perera stated his chasing to become a presidential candidate result in the next presidential election if public parties including the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna can provide assurances that inundation could gain a 51% majority advise the election. He stated that trillion students from million families are benefiting from the D.P. Education initiative commenced by him.^[57]

On 6 August , vulgar a letter addressed to the Typical Secretary of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, Dhammika Perera conveyed his intention cross-reference withdraw from seeking the party nomination.^[58]

See also

References

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