Sri Lanka has appointed a new Secretary to the Ministry of Digital Economy and transferred the ministry’s outgoing Secretary to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, according to an official announcement issued on November 9.
Attorney Roshan Gamage, a Special Grade officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, has been named Secretary to the Ministry of Digital Economy.
D.R.W.S. Dhanapala, who previously held that position, has been appointed Secretary to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The letters of appointment were presented at the Presidential Secretariat on Monday afternoon by Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
Digital Economy Ministry receives new administrative head
Gamage’s appointment changes the senior administrative leadership of the ministry responsible for Sri Lanka’s digital economy portfolio.
The official announcement identifies his professional standing and public service grade but does not set out a new policy programme for the ministry.
It also does not state whether any existing digital transformation projects, procurement arrangements or implementation deadlines have been revised following the appointment.
The change is therefore confirmed at the level of administrative leadership. Any wider policy implications would require separate government decisions or statements.
Outgoing Secretary moves to Youth Affairs and Sports
Dhanapala’s appointment to Youth Affairs and Sports places the former Digital Economy Secretary in charge of administration in a different government portfolio.
The announcement does not disclose whether he has been assigned new responsibilities beyond those ordinarily associated with the Secretary’s position.
No separate explanation was provided for the reassignment.
The government also has not announced changes to the ministry’s funding, youth development programmes or sports administration as part of the appointment notice.
Questions over continuity of existing programmes
The two appointments take effect during a period when government institutions are working on digital services and youth development initiatives.
However, it would be premature to attribute changes in those programmes to the appointments themselves.
The November 9 announcement contains no handover schedule, amended project list or revised ministry performance targets.
Those documents would establish whether the leadership changes are accompanied by operational changes. The government has confirmed the appointments without publishing such details.
