Department of Commerce Sri Lanka

Gomi T. Senadhira
Director General of Commerce

Gomi Senadhira, The Director General of Commerce, since 2009 heads the Department of Commerce and also supervises the trade related activities undertaken by the department’s officers attached to Sri Lanka’s Permanent Mission to the WTO in Geneva as well as Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates in 22 countries  He joined the department in 1979 as an Assistant Director of Commerce. Since then, he has held a variety of positions, the most recent being Acting Director General/ Director Multilateral Trade. From January 2004 to December 2006, he was the Ambassador/ Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization in Geneva.

Senadhira was the Minister (Commercial and Economic Affairs) in Sri Lanka’s Mission to the European Communities (2001-2003) and the Embassy in Washington DC (1998-2001). Earlier he also served as Minister Counsellor, Sri Lanka’s Mission to the UN in Geneva (1992-1995), First Secretary in Sri Lanka Embassy in Moscow, Second Secretary in Kuwait and  Third Secretary in Baghdad.

He has extensive experience of participation in multilateral, regional and bilateral trade negotiations. He was Chairman of the WTO Committee on Trade and Development (2005-06) and Chairman of the Commonwealth Group of Developing Countries in Geneva (2005-06).  At regional level, he has chaired APTA, SAFTA and Bimstec meetings. 

His educational qualifications include MA in international studies (first class) and a  Post-Graduate training in Exports Development and  trade policy.

Mr. P D Fernando
Consul General of Sydney

Mrs. Sonali Wijeratne
Minister (Commercial) London

Sonali Wijeratne holds a B.A. (First Class) Degree, University of Peradeniya, Postgraduate Diploma in Economic Development, University of Colombo, Postgraduate Diploma in International Trade Policy (GATT/Geneva) and M.Sc Economic & Social Change from the University of London, UK.

Her areas of competence in the Department of Commerce since 1985 to date have ranged from World Trade Organization Agreements,Bilateral Trade & Economic Relations, Trade Related Technical Assistance, GSP and Preferential Tariff Schemes,to representing Sri Lanka's commercial and economic interests in Diplomatic Service (Commercial) in UK, Australia and Canada. Mrs. Wijeratne has also worked as Consultant to the International Trade Centre:UNCTAD/WTO, Geneva on the EU- Sri Lanka Trade Development Project."

Mr. Nimal Karunathilake

Deputy Director of Commerce

Karunatilake holds a Bachelors Degree in Commerce (Special) from University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka and a Post Graduate Diploma in International Relations and Development from the Institute of Social Studies, the Hague in the Netherlands. He has also participated in a Trade Policy Course conducted by the World Trade Organization, Geneva.
Nimal Karunatilake has been with the Department of Commerce for over 25 years and gained a wide knowledge and experience in both trade policy and promotional work at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels. He has already served five overseas postings, including the current assignment as Minister (Commercial) at the Embassy of Sri Lanka, Washington D.C., U. S. A. His previous postings include Sri Lankan Missions in Iraq, Japan, the Philippines and France. Prior to his joining the Department, he was attached to the University of Kelaniya as an Assistant Lecturer in Economics for a short period.

Mr. R.D. S. Kumararathne
Minister (Com), Brussels

Kumararatne holds a Post Graduate Degree in Business Leadership from University of South Africa, and a Bachelor of Commerce (1st Class) Hons. (1983) from the University of Sri Jayawardenepura. He has also participated in the Trade Policy Courses conducted by the World Trade Organization, Geneva and International Development Law Organization in Sydney, Australia.

Kumararatne has been with the Department of Commerce for over 26 years and gained a wide knowledge and experience in both trade policy and promotional work at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels. He was the head of Multilateral & WTO Division of the Department prior to his current assignment as Minister (Commercial & Economic Affairs) at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Brussels. He has served in five overseas postings, including the current assignment at the Embassy of Sri Lanka, in Brussels, Belgium. He has served as the Trade Commissioner in Karachi, Pakistan, Minister Counsellor and Alternate Permanent Representative to FAO, WFP and IFAD in Rome, Italy, Minister (Commercial) at the High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa, and Minister (Commercial) at the High Commission in Ottawa, Canada. Prior to his joining the Department in 1985, he was attached to the University of Sri Jayawardenepura as an Assistant Lecturer in the Faculty of Management Studies.

Mr. P. M. B. Somasiri
Minister (Commercial) at the Sri Lanka Embassy in Washington D.C., U. S.A

Mr. B. M. S. A. B. Godawita
Consul (Commercial), Los Angeles, USA

Mrs. Gothami Indikadahena
Minister (Commercial), Italy

Ms. Upekha Samarathunga
Consul-General, Mumbai, India

Mr. D.G.A.P.Dharmapriya
Minister (Com), Sri Lanka High Commission, Singapore

Mr. Dharmapriya is a holder of Special Degree in Business Management and a Passed Finalist of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka. He has undergone a number of overseas training programmes on International Trade and related subjects, including “WTO Trade Policy course (2002)”in Geneva. Mr. Dharmapriya, has served in Kuwait (1993-1997), Cairo(1998-2001) and Tokyo(2003-2007) as Head of Commercial Division / Trade Commissioner in the respective Sri Lankan Missions. He has been serving in Singapore since August 2009 to date.

Mr. M. M. Abdul Raheem
Consul General of Sri Lanka, Dubai and the Northern Emirates

Mr. V. Sidhath Kumar
Deputy Director of Commerce

Mr. D.W. Jinadasa
Consul General (Karachchi)

D.W. Jinadasa graduated from the University of Sri Jayawardenepura, Sri Lanka with honors degree in Economics. He holds post graduate qualification from the University of Colombo in Economic Development and International Trade, Law and Practice. He Joined the Department of Commerce (DoC) in 1991. At DoC, he was involved in areas covering trade promotion, bilateral and regional trade policy matters, negotiation of Free Trade Agreements and their implementation. Currently, serving as the Consul General for Sri Lanka in Karachi, he has previously served in Sri Lanka Missions overseas in Dubai, Chennai, London, Brussels and Kuala Lumpur.

Mr. H.M.B Herath
Minister (Commercial), Toronto, Canada

Mrs. Z.A.M shafi
Minister (Commercial), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Mrs. Lakmini Peiris
Second Secretary (Commercial) , Geneva

Mr. M. Somasena
First Secretary (Commercial), Embassy of Sri Lanka, Tokyo, Japan

M. Somasena holds a BSc. Special Degree in Public Management (Honors), from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and joined the Department of Commerce (DOC) in 2002 as an Assistant Director of Commerce. In 2003, he served as the Commercial Secretary in the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Pretoria. Upon his return, he was selected to follow the Word Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade Policy Diploma in 2007 in Geneva and has served in both Multilateral and Bilateral Divisions of the DOC, while involving in the areas of Rules of Origin, particularly in EU-GSP and the ISFTA, and the Doha Trade Negotiations. In 2009, he was awarded to follow the WTO’s 10 months Mission Internship in Geneva and during it as a delegate, he could engage in ongoing Doha Trade Negations. He has attended number of international training workshops organised by UNCTAD, ADB, EC, SIDA, CBI etc. and currently he serves as the First Secretary (Commercial) of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Tokyo.

Mr. P.A.S. Ponnamperuma
Assistant Director of Commerce

Mr. G.L Gnanatheva

First Secretary (Commercial), Sri Lanka Consulate in Frankfurt, Germany

G. L Gnanatheva holds a Bachelors Degree in Economics(2nd Upper) from the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Prior to joining the Department he worked as a Management Trainee and the Acting Manager in the banking industry. He has been posted to Sri Lanka Missions in Israel and Malaysia before.
His areas of specialization in the Department are Trade Facilitation, Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights, WTO Dispute Settlements, South Asian Free Trade Area etc.

Mr. Samantha Wijesekara
Counsellor (Commercial) Chennai

Mr. Wijesekara has obtained his B.Sc Degree with a Second Class (Upper Division) from the University of Sri Jayawaradanapura, Sri Lanka and has completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Economic Development at the University of Colombo
He joined the Department as an Assistant Director of Commerce in the Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs in 2002. Since then, he served as a WTO (World Trade Organization) Mission Intern at the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in Geneva, Switzerland and Assistant Trade Commissioner in the Sri Lanka High Commission, London being responsible for Sri Lanka’s Trade & Investment Promotion work and representing economic interests abroad. Since 2010 August, Mr. Wjjesekra has been posted as the Commercial Secretary at the Sri Lanka Deputy High Commission office in CHENNAI.

Mr. D. D. pemarathne
Second Secretary (Commercial, Egypt

Mrs. S.H.S. Ariyarathne
Second Secretary (Commercial), China

Mr. Jagath Kumara
First Secretary (Commercial), Sri Lanka High Commission, London

Jagath Kumara holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Second class Upper division) Degree from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He joined the Department of Commerce in January 2002 as an Assistant Director of Commerce. He was assigned to the Bilateral / Regional Sections of the Department and closely engaged with negotiations on Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and implementation of Indo – Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA) with India. Jagath Kumara has served at Sri Lanka High Commission in Sweden(2003-2006).He has been serving in Sri Lanka High Commission in the UK as Fist Secretary (Commercial) since July 2009.

Mr. S.M.C.D. Yattogoda
First Secretary/ Commerce, South Korea

Mr. B.G.P. Jayakody
Assistant Director of Commerce

Mrs. R. Ariaratne

Assistant Director of Commerce

Ruwanthi Ariyaratne is presently attached to the multilateral trade division of the Department of Commerce, where she is responsible for work relating to the World Trade Organization, UNCTAD and other multilateral trade forums. She is also responsible for work relating to the Asia Pacific Trade Agreement. She joined the Department of Commerce as an Assistant Director of Commerce in 2005 and served as First Secretary (Commercial) to the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UNO, WTO and Other International Organizations in Geneva from 2007 to 2010. She is an Attorney-at-Law, holding a Bachelor of Laws (Hon) degree from the University of Colombo and a Postgraduate Diploma in International Relations.

Ms. C.K Kiriwandala
Assistant Director of Commerce

Mr. D.N.M.P wijerathne
Assistant Director of Commerce

Mr. W.P.A. F. Gunasekara
Assistant Director of Commerce

Mr. P.K.S. Pattiwela
Assistant Director of Commerce

Mr. Yasantha De Silva Yaddehi

Assistant Director of Commerce

Yasantha De Silva has obtained his B.Sc Degree with a Second Class (Upper Division) from the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna and completed the Post Graduate Diploma in Development Economics in Japan and the Master of Science in Environmental Economics at the Post Graduate Institute of Agriculture in Peradeniya.

Mr.De Silva joined the Department of Commerce in 2006 as an Assistant Director of Commerce and served as the Second Secretary (Commerce), Sri Lanka Mission, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 2007- 2010. He had worked as a Research Officer in the National Aquatic Resource Research & Development Agency (NARA) prior to joining the Department of Commerce.

Mrs. R. Mallikarachchi
Assistant Director of Commerce

Mrs. Rekha Mallikarachchi holds a Bachelor of Science (Special Degree) in Business Administration with second class upper division pass from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura .She has served in Sri Lanka Accountants Service for 3 years prior to joining Department of Commerce in 2008. Currently she is attached to the Trade Promotion and Bilateral Divisions of the Department.

Ms. J.A.Y.G Jayasuriya
Third Secretary (Commercial)

Mrs. Chandima S. Abeyrathna
Third Secretary (Commercial)

Mrs. G.M. Dewalegama

Assistant Director of Commerce

Ms. H.K.W. Liyanage
Assistant Director of Commerce

Mrs. D.A.S. wijewantha

Assistant Director of Commerce

D.A.Seevali Wijewantha holds a Bachelors Degree in Commerce (1st Class) from the university of Peradeniya. She joined the Department of Commerce in 2009 and currently working attached to the GSP Division under the Multilateral Trade division in the department. Prior to the joining department of commerce, she has worked in Department of Labour for more than 7 years.

Mr. Lakshmendra Geshan Dissanayake
Third Sectary(Commercial) Sweden

Geshan holds a Master of Financial Economics, Postgraduate Diploma in Economic Development from the University of Colombo Sri Lanka and a B.Sc. honors degree in Management Information Systems from the National University of Ireland, University College Dublin.

Geshan Dissanayake is an Assistant Director. Currently working in Sri Lanka Embassy in Sweden as a third Sectary (Commercial). Prior to joining DoC, Geshan was an Assistant Director (Communication) at Peace Secretariat.

Mrs. Nalika Kodikara
Second Secretary (Commercial), High Commission of Sri Lanka, South Africa

Nalika Kodikara holds Bachelors degree in Agriculture from the University of Ruhuna , Sri Lanka and Master of Business Administration ( MBA) from the Postgraduate Institute of Management ( PIM) of University of Sri Jayewardenapura, Sri Lanka.