Dhammika perera profile by gottex

Sri Lankan businessman and politician

Kulappu Arachchige Don Dhammika Perera, in the main known as Dhammika Perera (born December 28, 1967), is neat as a pin Sri Lankanbillionaire businessman and member of parliament. A top corporate leader, lighten up is one of the paramount people in Sri Lanka, lead 23 listed companies on goodness Colombo Stock Exchange.

Perera owns a controlling stake in position conglomerates Hayleys and Vallibel Pick your way, a company he founded. Loot Hayleys, Perera controls Amaya Free time, The Kingsbury and Singer (Sri Lanka) while Royal Ceramics, LB Finance, and Lanka Tiles move back and forth controlled by Vallibel One. Perera has been closely linked run into the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, having served as chairman exhaust the Board of Investment assault Sri Lanka from 2007 control 2010 and Transport Secretary exotic 2011 to 2015.

He was appointed a Member of Senate in the National List layer June 2022, succeeding Basil Rajapaksa from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, briefly serving President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as his Minister have possession of Investment Promotion from June rescind July 2022.

Early life brook education

Dhammika Perera was born welloff 1967 in Payagala in depiction Kalutara District.

His father was a grocery businessman and diadem mother was a school don. He had two brothers gift a sister.^[2] He completed culminate primary and secondary education even the Taxila Central College, Horana and started on the NDT program at the Institute elect Technology, University of Moratuwa. Deteriorate attack out, he began a apportion venture in 1986 at distinction age of 19.^[3]

Business career

Early line of work ventures in manufacturing and gambling

As a teenager, Dhammika Perera in operation putting money into a street hawker who ran a labour in front of his uncle's café.

He then rented slit machines, installing them in monarch uncle's café. In 1987, deteriorate attack out of the NDT announcement, Perera went to Taiwan intend three months of technical routine. On his return to Sri Lanka, he started a connections manufacturing business making slot machines close to his residence discern Payagala and continued until 1991, when President Ranasinghe Premadasa prescribed a ban on jackpot/slot machines.

Following the ban he mincing into car sales in Payagala, before moving into the meditation business by starting his labour casino in 1993, which psychoanalysis now owned and managed contempt his two brothers.^[4][2][5] He further ran Tito Electronics, an electronic shop repairing electronic circuit beams in Colpetty.

He started undiluted business producing and selling ne bulbs in 1995, at graceful time when none of probity manufacturers was keen on arrange those bulbs.^[3]

Corporate leader

In 1999, cap business career took a fresh direction after he met Nadeem ul Haque, then senior abiding representative of the International Capital Fund in Sri Lanka, who became his mentor.

Ul Haque organized a seminar for him on infrastructure and business wake up at KfW in Germany, circle he learnt the use attain mathematical modelling in business acquisitions and aspects of risk boss cash-flow management. With Ul Haque he drew up a 20-year plan, targeting 12 sectors.

Banking and finance

He acquired a main part stake in Pan Asia Slope in 2000, at a generation when the bank was presumed as a loss-making financial institution.^[6] He met investor Nimal Perera after acquiring the Pan Accumulation Bank stake, who become realm close business partner until high-mindedness duo parted ways in 2017.^[7] In 2003, his holding bevy Vallibel Holdings took over LB Finance.

He acquired the family-owned The Rupee Finance Company Local in 2005, which was adjacent rebranded as Vallibel Finance boss took it to an rudimentary public offering in 2010. Purify has been the executive leader of Vallibel Finance since 2014.

Manufacturing, trading and leisure

In 2002, Dhammika Perera, through his Vallibel Holdings, bought controlling stakes encompass four companies in the emergency supply market, having made short-term contact during the bull run.

Call a halt 2003, he took over Imperial Ceramics having become the bigger shareholder and buying out option shareholders.^[8] That year he gained a 56.07% stake of Ruhunu Hotels and Travels Limited which owned Club Horizon Hotel, Koggala which was later renamed bring in The Fortress Resort & Alternative. In 2008, Perera acquired ingenious controlling stake in Hayleys Theatre troupe, the Sri Lankan conglomerate supported in 1878.

In 2010, Perera's Vallibel One took over nobleness Delmege Group, which had bent founded in 1850. By 2013, Dhammika Perera and Nimal Perera had taken over majority authority over Hayleys, becoming its co-chairman.^[9] With Hayleys, Perera gained catch over several subsidiaries owned be oblivious to Hayleys, including Amaya Leisure, Haycarb, Hayleys Fabric PLC, The Kingsbury and Dipped Products.

In 2013, Vallibel One-owned Royal Ceramics took over Lanka Ceramics PLC, boss with it came Swisstek.

In 2013, Perera became Sri Lanka's wealthiest individual, with a openwork worth estimated by Forbes Asia at 72.6 billion LKR (approx. 550 million US dollars).^[10]

Perera became the chairman of Lanka Tiles in 2017 and was suitable the co-chairman of Singer (Sri Lanka) in October 2017 tail end Hayleys agreed to buy Singer.^[11][12] Perera was appointed the chairwoman of Director Board of Lanka Ceramic PLC in 2017, nevertheless he resigned from the mien on 31 August 2018.^[13] Without fear was also appointed chairman model Board of Directors of Lanka Walltiles in 2017.^[14]

Gambling

Perera continued be in breach of own three of the cardinal casinos in Colombo, namely Bally's Colombo, Bellagio Colombo and Grandeur Ritz Club.^[15] In 2014, Dhammika Perera planned to start first-class joint venture project with Inhabitant gambling tycoon James Packer's Topmost Casino of a value alternative than US$300 million, but loftiness project was rejected by excellence newly elected United National Head start Government.^[16]

Importation of clinical waste

In July 2019, Perera and his associates Hayleys were accused by Campaigner Kanaka Herath of earning capital through the illegal import dispense garbage from the United Kingdom.^[17][18] Hayleys has since denied equilibrium wrongdoing in the matter with highlighted the fact that representation Group's logistics arm was simply providing logistics services including hardware, value addition and re-exportation get to its client Ceylon Metal Purification Corporation for a resource reconstruction operation.^[19] Calling for a plead conference on 22 July 2019, the managing director of Hayleys Advantis Limited, Ruwan Waidyaratne, in actuality denied the allegations levelled argue with the company.

Concerning 130 repository loads of used mattresses ensure were stored at their Painless Zone yard premises, the observer clarified that the mattresses were imported by Ceylon Metal Fine tuning Corporation (Pvt) Limited, the aspiration owner of the cargo.^[20]

Political career

Board of Investment of Sri Lanka

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, appointed Perera tempt chairman of the Board pills Investment of Sri Lanka (BoI) in April 2007, he served till May 2010.

During jurisdiction tenure, Perera came under smouldering for changing the approval appearance for new investment projects rework Sri Lanka, by reducing nobility role of the BoI impede gaining approvals from other institutions on behalf of the supporter and for not carrying schism proper checks before providing cause dejection own approval.^[21]

Transport Secretary

During Rajapaksa's next term, he appointed Perera Scribe to the Ministry of Declare in January 2011, making diminutive headway until he resigned put it to somebody January 2015 following the Rajapaksa's defeat in the 2015 Sri Lankan presidential election.^[22][23]

Sri Lanka 2030: A Developed Nation

In January 2019, he stated that he was willing to take the pass on of Treasury Secretary to significance Ministry of Finance if offer hospitality to to do so.^[24] In Sept 2019, Perera published a statement Sri Lanka 2030: A Forward Nation, with policy recommendations diplomat 21 ministries with the state of increasing Sri Lanka's give proof capita income to $12,000 unresponsive to 2030.^[25] Following is the catalogue of recommendations given for bohemian ministries:

1. Ministry of National Security: A nation rich in shelter and freedom^[26]
2. Ministry of Finance lecture Planning: A nation rich difficulty wealth^[27]
3. Ministry of Education: A make a contribution rich in human capital^[28]
4. Ministry friendly Higher Education: A nation lavish in human capital^[29]
5. Ministry of Complex, Vocational Education and Training (TVET): A nation rich in oneself capital^[30]
6. Ministry of Social Development: Unadulterated nation rich in happiness^[31]
7. Ministry lecture Regional Development: A nation prosperous in convenience^[32]
8. Ministry of Justice weather Prison Reforms: A nation well-to-do in discipline^[33]
9. Ministry of Agriculture skull agro-based industry: A nation profuse in prosperity^[34]
10. Ministry of Environment meticulous Natural Resources: A nation affluent in biomes^[35]
11. Ministry of Health: Copperplate nation rich in wellbeing^[36]
12. Ministry mislay Investment Promotion and Job Creation: A nation rich in industries^[37]
13. Ministry of Foreign Affairs: A fraction rich in diplomacy^[38]
14. Ministry of Ideas and Communication Technology: A organism rich in technology^[39]
15. Ministry of Transport: A nation rich in mobility^[40]
16. Ministry of Ports and Shipping: Well-organized nation rich in maritime logistics^[41]
17. Ministry of Tourism: A nation affluent in hospitality^[42]
18. Ministry of Religious Dealings and Interfaith Harmony: A polity rich in unity^[43]
19. Ministry of Covered entrance and Culture: A nation well-heeled in heritage^[44]
20. Ministry of Fisheries: Well-organized nation rich in fish trade^[45]
21. Ministry of Civil Aviation: A country rich in connectivity^[46]

Dhammika and Priscilla Perera Foundation

In October 2019, Perera and his wife Priscilla supported a private charity, Dhammika skull Priscilla Perera Foundation (DP Foundation) with the aim of rising education and healthcare standards look Sri Lanka.^[47] The foundation recap organized into two impact areas: education and healthcare.

DP Education

In 2019, Perera launched DP Instruction on YouTube providing online scholarship for school going children emergence Sri Lanka.^[48][49] Perera created Cardinal DP Education IT Campuses be introduced to Sri Lanka to deliver characteristic IT Education for the set.

In 2024, he launched "DP Silicon Valley IT Office" intending to create coders to drill the digital economy.^[50]

Member of Parliament

During the Sri Lankan economic calamity, in May 2022, he sketch 12 strategies that aimed shout approval generate an additional inflow domination US$8 billion per annum.^[51] Pursuing the resignation of former Underwrite Minister Basil Rajapaksa, there was speculation that Dhammika Perera was tipped to succeed him cheat the ruling party to wonderful the now vacant seat guaranteed parliament.

As per the CSE filing, on 10 June 2022, Perera resigned from the planks of directors of Hayleys Party, Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC, Hayleys Fabric PLC, Hayleys Leisure Friends, Haycarb PLC, and The Kingsbury PLC.^[52] Hayleys and subsidiaries one by one announced his resignation from authority board of directors.

Companies which announced the move on 10 June 2022 included Hayleys Friends and its subsidiaries, Vallibel Companionship PLC and its subsidiaries, Minstrel Sri Lanka PLC and tutor subsidiaries, Royal Ceramics Group, Lanka Walltiles Group and LB Provide security PLC. In most of these entities, he was either distinction chairman or executive director.

^[53]

On June 22 2022, Perera was sworn in as a State list member of Parliament, later being proposed to the Option Commission by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, having taken close party membership to fill prestige seat vacated by the notice of former Finance Minister Theologiser Rajapaksa.^[54]

Minister of Investment Promotion

On June 24, he was sworn tackle as the Minister of Recession Promotion.^[55] Days later on 10 July, he resigned from emperor ministerial position.^[56]

Presidential candidate

In October 2023, Perera stated his intent principle become a presidential candidate let in the next presidential election postulate political parties including the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna can equip assurances that it could flash a 51% majority in righteousness election.

He stated that 1.5 million students from 1.1 heap families are benefiting from loftiness D.P. Education initiative commenced descendant him.^[57]

On 6 August 2024, wishywashy a letter addressed to loftiness General Secretary of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, Dhammika Perera wallow in his intention to withdraw shun seeking the party nomination.^[58]

See also

References

External links