Nalaka Godahewa

Hon. Dr
Nalaka Godahewa
MP
නාලක ගොඩහේවා
நாலக கொடஹேவா
Minister of Mass Media
In office
18 April 2022 – 9 May 2022
PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime MinisterMahinda Rajapaksa
Preceded byDullas Alahapperuma
Succeeded byBandula Gunawardane
Member of Parliament
for Gampaha District
Incumbent
Assumed office
20 August 2020
Majority325,479 votes[1]
State Minister of Urban Development
In office
20 August 2020 – 18 April 2022
PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime MinisterMahinda Rajapaksa
Personal details
Born (1965-06-07) 7 June 1965 (age 59)
Sri Lanka
Political partyNidahasa Janatha Peramuna (since 2022)
Other political
affiliations		Freedom People's Alliance (since 2022)

Nidahasa Janatha Sabha (since 2022)

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (2019–2022)
Alma materAnanda Maha Vidyalaya , Colombo 10
OccupationPolitician, Chairman

Nalaka Godahewa, MP (Sinhala: නාලක ගොඩහේවා, Tamil: நாலக கொடஹேவா, born 7 June 1965) is a Sri Lankan politician, former Cabinet Minister, and former corporate executive. He served as the Minister of Mass Media from 18 April 2022 until his resignation on 9 May 2022.[2][3] Prior to that he was the State Minister Urban Development since August 2020[4] In addition to this, he is a member of parliament for the Gampaha District. He had served as the Chairman, Securities Exchange Commission (August 2012–January 2015); Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism (2010–2012); and Managing Director, Sri Lanka Insurance (2006–2009).

At the first election he faced after entering politics, Dr Nalaka Godahewa topped the preferential votes in the Gampaha District obtaining 325,479 votes[5] He was ranked 3rd in the entire country in terms of the number of votes received by a candidate at the 2020 general election[6]

Before entering politics his last state sector involvement was as the Chairman of the Securities Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka during 2012 -2015 period. Godahewa was appointed as SEC Chairman in mid 2012 after two of his predecessors, Indrani Sugathadasa and Thilak Karunaratne, had to resign within 12 months as a result of a stock market crisis during April 2011 to August 2012.[7] According to Bloomberg statistics, within the first few weeks of Godahewa's appointment as SEC head, the market bounced back from world's worst performing stock market status to the third best performing stock market status.[8] This prompted the business newspaper Daily FT to carry a headline "From Bust to Boom".[9] In November 2012 Godahewa presented a three-year roadmap for capital market development in Sri Lanka.[10] which was endorsed by key industry stakeholders as a timely, positive step in the right direction.[11] By January 2014 Godahewa was in a position to publicly claim that "Foundation laid; time for other stakeholders to deliver"[12] The all share price index of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) had reached 7500 and was performing above all regional and global indices when Godahewa announced in January 2015 the vision and strategies for the market capitalization to bje 100Bn by 2020[13]

  1. ^ Daily Mirror ( Print Edition 7 August 2020).Nalaka Godahewa tops in Gampaha : retrieved 7 August 2020
  2. ^ "President appoints 17 new Cabinet ministers". Ada Derana.lk. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  3. ^ "Mahinda Rajapaksa resigns as Prime Minister". Ada Derana. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022. The PM's departure also results in the dissolution of the Cabinet.
  4. ^ Daily FT ( Print Edition 14 August 2020).State Minister Dr Nalaka Godahewa Assumes Duties : retrieved 6 July 2023
  5. ^ Daily FT ( Print Edition 14 August 2020).State Minister Dr Nalaka Godahewa Assumes Duties : retrieved 6 July 2023
  6. ^ The Island ( Print Edition 7 August 2020): https://island.lk/a-sizable-viyathmaga-group-enters-parliament-yuthukama-receives-two-slots/ A sizable Viyathmaga group enters parliament : retrieved 7 August 2020
  7. ^ Daily FT (Print edition: 29 August 2012).Let's put market back on track, Nalaka tells SEC : retrieved 3 September 2012
  8. ^ Daily Mirror: (print edition 13 September 2012): From worst to near best what really changed:Retrieved 15 September 2012
  9. ^ Daily FT: (Print Edition 14 September): From bust to Boom:Retrieved on 15 September 2012
  10. ^ Daily Mirror (print edition 16 November 2012) : http://www.dailymirror.lk/business/stock/23533-sec-unveils-three-year-roadmap-.html : Retrieved 5 December 2012
  11. ^ You Tube Video: SEC Media Briefing in November 2012: Retrieved on 13 June 2013
  12. ^ Daily Mirror (print edition 13thJanuary 2014) : Foundation laid; time for other stakeholders to deliver: Godahewa; retrieved on 14 January 2014
  13. ^ Daily Ft (print edition 6 January 2015) :Dr Godahewa Shares 2020 vision for sri lankas capital market. Retrieved 10 January 2015