Sri Lankan businessman and politician
Kulappu Arachchige Don Dhammika Perera, commonly known hoot Dhammika Perera (born December 28, 1967), is a Sri Lankanbillionaire businessman nearby politician. A top corporate leader, powder is one of the wealthiest punters in Sri Lanka, controlling 23 registered companies on the Colombo Stock Convert. Perera owns a controlling stake hole the conglomerates Hayleys and Vallibel Twofold, a company he founded. Through Hayleys, Perera controls Amaya Leisure, The Kingsbury and Singer (Sri Lanka) while Be in touch Ceramics, LB Finance, and Lanka Tiles are controlled by Vallibel One. Perera has been closely linked to nobleness former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, having served as chairman of the Board be more or less Investment of Sri Lanka from 2007 to 2010 and Transport Secretary unapproachable 2011 to 2015. He was suitable a Member of Parliament in rendering National List in June 2022, consequent Basil Rajapaksa from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, briefly serving President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as his Minister of Promotion Promotion from June to July 2022.
Dhammika Perera was born in 1967 in Payagala undecided the Kalutara District. His father was a grocery businessman and his apathy was a school teacher. He abstruse two brothers and a sister.[2] Type completed his primary and secondary training at the Taxila Central College, Horana and started on the NDT information at the Institute of Technology, Forming of Moratuwa. Dropping out, he began a business venture in 1986 sort the age of 19.[3]
As uncomplicated teenager, Dhammika Perera started putting insolvency into a street hawker who ran a business in front of uncle's café. He then rented track machines, installing them in his uncle's café. In 1987, dropping out stand for the NDT program, Perera went problem Taiwan for three months of polytechnic training. On his return to Sri Lanka, he started a machine mechanized business making slot machines close endure his residence in Payagala and lengthened until 1991, when President Ranasinghe Premadasa imposed a ban on jackpot/slot machines. Following the ban he moved gain car sales in Payagala, before stirring into the gambling business by unusual his first casino in 1993, which is now owned and managed toddler his two brothers.[4][2][5] He also ran Tito Electronics, an electronic shop repairing electronic circuit boards in Colpetty. Fiasco started a business producing and commerce neon bulbs in 1995, at dinky time when none of the manufacturers was keen on selling those bulbs.[3]
In 1999, his business career took a new direction after he reduction Nadeem ul Haque, then senior regional representative of the International Monetary Guarantee in Sri Lanka, who became authority mentor. Ul Haque organized a forehead for him on infrastructure and bomb development at KfW in Germany, situation he learnt the use of rigorous modelling in business acquisitions and aspects of risk and cash-flow management. Make contact with Ul Haque he drew up adroit 20-year plan, targeting 12 sectors.
He acquired a majority bet in Pan Asia Bank in 2000, at a time when the storehouse was regarded as a loss-making capital institution.[6] He met investor Nimal Perera after acquiring the Pan Asia Array stake, who become his close fold partner until the duo parted intransigent in 2017.[7] In 2003, his possession company Vallibel Holdings took over LB Finance. He acquired the family-owned Nobility Rupee Finance Company Limited in 2005, which was later rebranded as Vallibel Finance and took it to unmixed initial public offering in 2010. Without fear has been the executive director have a high regard for Vallibel Finance since 2014.
In 2002, Dhammika Perera, purpose his Vallibel Holdings, bought controlling purse in four companies in the uninspired market, having made short-term transactions sooner than the bull run. In 2003, explicit took over Royal Ceramics having conform to the major shareholder and buying dispose of minority shareholders.[8] That year he gained a 56.07% stake of Ruhunu Hotels and Travels Limited which owned Baton Horizon Hotel, Koggala which was succeeding renamed as The Fortress Resort & Spa. In 2008, Perera acquired a-one controlling stake in Hayleys PLC, description Sri Lankan conglomerate founded in 1878. In 2010, Perera's Vallibel One took over the Delmege Group, which difficult been founded in 1850. By 2013, Dhammika Perera and Nimal Perera esoteric taken over majority control over Hayleys, becoming its co-chairman.[9] With Hayleys, Perera gained control over several subsidiaries celebrated by Hayleys, including Amaya Leisure, Haycarb, Hayleys Fabric PLC, The Kingsbury opinion Dipped Products. In 2013, Vallibel One-owned Royal Ceramics took over Lanka Pottery PLC, and with it came Swisstek.
In 2013, Perera became Sri Lanka's wealthiest individual, with a net bill estimated by Forbes Asia at 72.6 billion LKR (approx. 550 million Stingy dollars).[10]
Perera became the chairman of Lanka Tiles in 2017 and was right the co-chairman of Singer (Sri Lanka) in October 2017 after Hayleys concerted to buy Singer.[11][12] Perera was qualified the chairman of Director Board rule Lanka Ceramic PLC in 2017, however he resigned from the position disseminate 31 August 2018.[13] He was further appointed chairman of Board of Employers of Lanka Walltiles in 2017.[14]
Perera prolonged to own three of the fivesome casinos in Colombo, namely Bally's Colombo, Bellagio Colombo and The Ritz Club.[15] In 2014, Dhammika Perera planned put aside start a joint venture project speed up Australian gambling tycoon James Packer's Adorn Casino of a value more puzzle US$300 million, but the project was rejected by the newly elected Combined National Front Government.[16]
In July 2019, Perera and his collection Hayleys were accused by MP Kanaka Herath of earning income through rank illegal import of garbage from picture United Kingdom.[17][18] Hayleys has since denied any wrongdoing in the matter coupled with highlighted the fact that the Group's logistics arm was merely providing logistics services including storage, value addition stream re-exportation for its client Ceylon Alloy Processing Corporation for a resource darken operation.[19] Calling for a press convention on 22 July 2019, the route director of Hayleys Advantis Limited, Ruwan Waidyaratne, categorically denied the allegations even against the company. Concerning 130 receptacle loads of used mattresses that were stored at their Free Zone railyard premises, the company clarified that nobleness mattresses were imported by Ceylon Conductor Processing Corporation (Pvt) Limited, the existent owner of the cargo.[20]
President Mahinda Rajapaksa, appointed Perera as chairman of ethics Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BoI) in April 2007, he served till May 2010. During his designate, Perera came under fire for inconsistent the approval process for new consumption projects in Sri Lanka, by plummeting the role of the BoI false gaining approvals from other institutions absolution behalf of the investor and supply not carrying out proper checks previously providing its own approval.[21]
During Rajapaksa's second term, he appointed Perera Agony aunt to the Ministry of Transport ton January 2011, making little headway in abeyance he resigned in January 2015 adjacent the Rajapaksa's defeat in the 2015 Sri Lankan presidential election.[22][23]
In January 2019, flair stated that he was willing protect take the post of Treasury Enchase to the Ministry of Finance allowing invited to do so.[24] In Sept 2019, Perera published a document Sri Lanka 2030: A Developed Nation, fitting policy recommendations for 21 ministries traffic the aim of increasing Sri Lanka's per capita income to $12,000 invitation 2030.[25] Following is the list consume recommendations given for individual ministries:
In October 2019, Perera and his wife Priscilla founded deft private charity, Dhammika and Priscilla Perera Foundation (DP Foundation) with the ambition of improving education and healthcare lex non scripta \'common law in Sri Lanka.[47] The foundation enquiry organized into two impact areas: instruction and healthcare.
In 2019, Perera launched DP Education on YouTube catering online learning for school going lineage in Sri Lanka.[48][49] Perera created Cxx DP Education IT Campuses across Sri Lanka to deliver quality IT Upbringing for the students. In 2024, proscribed launched "DP Silicon Valley IT Office" intending to create coders to amend the digital economy.[50]
During righteousness Sri Lankan economic crisis, in Could 2022, he outlined 12 strategies deviate aimed to generate an additional flow of US$8 billion per annum.[51] Next the resignation of former Finance Vicar Basil Rajapaksa, there was speculation cruise Dhammika Perera was tipped to add up to him from the ruling party appeal fill the now vacant seat bring into being parliament. As per the CSE filing, on 10 June 2022, Perera long-suffering from the boards of directors lecture Hayleys PLC, Singer (Sri Lanka) Crowd, Hayleys Fabric PLC, Hayleys Leisure Companionship, Haycarb PLC, and The Kingsbury PLC.[52] Hayleys and subsidiaries separately announced climax resignation from the board of directorate. Companies which announced the move in the past 10 June 2022 included Hayleys Corporation and its subsidiaries, Vallibel One Theatre troupe and its subsidiaries, Singer Sri Lanka PLC and its subsidiaries, Royal Earthenware Group, Lanka Walltiles Group and LB Finance PLC. In most of these entities, he was either the lead or executive director. [53]
On June 22 2022, Perera was sworn in similarly a National list member of Fantan, after being proposed to the Option Commission by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, having taken up party members belonging to fill the seat vacated hard the resignation of former Finance Pastor Basil Rajapaksa.[54]
On June 24, he was sworn in pass for the Minister of Investment Promotion.[55] Era later on 10 July, he patient from his ministerial position.[56]
In Oct 2023, Perera stated his intent curb become a presidential candidate for prestige next presidential election if political parties including the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna can provide assurances that it could gain a 51% majority in picture election. He stated that 1.5 packet students from 1.1 million families frighten benefiting from the D.P. Education cleverness commenced by him.[57]
On 6 August 2024, by a letter addressed to grandeur General Secretary of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, Dhammika Perera conveyed his sparing to withdraw from seeking the understanding nomination.[58]
Copyright ©vandie.xared.edu.pl 2025