# Minister of Highways, Ports & Shipping

The Minister of Highways, Ports & Shipping was an appointment in the Cabinet of Sri Lanka that was responsible for the creation, development, implementation and the governance of the highways, ports and their transport services and the headquarters of the institutions under the ministry. The post was first created in 1960 March as Minister of Nationalized Services, Shipping & Transport, in 1960 July it was renamed as the Minister of Commerce, Trade, Food & Shipping. The section Highways was included in the post of the Minister of Irrigation, Power & Highways in both, 1970 and 1977 years. In the 1977, the section Shipping was included in the Minister of Shipping, Aviation & Tourism. In 1989 The responsibilities of the sections Ports and Shipping were under the Minister of Ports & Shipping and the Minister of Trade & Shipping and the responsibilities of section Highways were under the Minister of Transport & Highways. In 2000 the section of Ports was under the Minister of Ports Development & Development of the South ,the section Highways was under the Minister of Highways ,the section of Shipping was under the Minister of Internal & International Trade Commerce, Muslim Religious Affairs & Shipping Development. The responsibilities of the sections of Highways and into some distance Shipping too were under the Minister of Transport, Highways & Aviation in 2001. The section Highways was under the Minister of Highways & Road Development and the sections Ports and Shipping were under the Minister of Ports & Aviation in 2005. The original name Minister of Highways, Ports and Shipping was given for the post in 2010. The position was abolished and divided into the portfolios of the Minister of Ports and Shipping and Ministry of Higher Education and Highways with the portfolio reshuffle in January 2015 under the Sirisena cabinet.

## List of Highways, Ports & Shipping Ministers
### Parties

Sri Lanka Freedom Party  United National Party  Sri Lanka Muslim Congress
| # | Name | Party | Tenure | Head(s) of Government | Ministerial title |
| 1 | Montague Jayawickrama | United National Party | 23 March 1960 - 1960 July | Dudley Senanayake | Minister of Nationalised Services, Shipping & Transport |
| 2 | T. B. Ilangaratne | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 23 July 1960 - 1965 | Sirimavo Bandaranaike | Minister of Commerce, Trade, Food & Shipping |
| 3 | Maithripala Senanayake | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 31 May 1970 - 1977 | Sirimavo Bandaranaike | Minister of Irrigation, Power & Highways |
| 4 | Gamini Dissanayake | United National Party | 23 July 1977 - 2 January 1989 | Junius Richard Jayewardene | Minister of Irrigation, Power & Highways |
| 4 | Wimala Kannangara | United National Party | 23 July 1977 - 2 January 1989 | Junius Richard Jayewardene | Minister of Shipping, Aviation & Tourism |
| 5 | Alick Aluvihare | United National Party | 14 March 1991 - 1 May 1993 | Ranasinghe Premadasa | Minister of Ports & Shipping |
| 5 | Rupasena Karunatilake | United National Party | | Ranasinghe Premadasa | Minister of Ports & Shipping |
| 5 | Abdul Razak Munsoor | | 18 February 1989 - May 1993 | Ranasinghe Premadasa | Minister of Trade & Shipping |
| 5 | Wijayapala Mendis | United National Party | 1989 - 1993 | Ranasinghe Premadasa | Minister of Transport & Highways |
| 7 | Ronnie de Mel | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 18 October 2000 - 10 October 2001 | Chandrika Kumaratunga | Minister of Ports Development & Development of the South |
| 7 | A. H. M.Fowzie | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 18 October 2000 - 10 October 2001 | Chandrika Kumaratunga | Minister of Highways |
| 7 | Rauff Hakeem | Sri Lanka Muslim Congress | 18 October 2000 - 10 October 2001 | Chandrika Kumaratunga | Minister of Internal & International Trade Commerce, Muslim Religious Affairs & Shipping Development |
| 8 | Gamini Athukorala | United National Party | 19 December 2001 - 7 February 2004 | Ranil Wickremasinghe | Minister of Transport, Highways & Aviation |
| 9 | Jeyaraj Fernandopulle | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 22 April 2004 - 6 April 2008 | Mahinda Rajapaksa | Minister of Highways & Road Development |
| 9 | Mahinda Rajapaksa | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 22 April 2004 - 19 November 2005 | Chandrika Kumaratunga | Minister of Highways |
| 9 | Mangala Samaraweera | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 22 April 2004 - 9 February 2010 | Mahinda Rajapaksa | Minister of Ports & Aviation Services |
| 10 | Mahinda Rajapaksa | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 23 April 2010 – present | Mahinda Rajapaksa | Ministry of Highways, Ports & Shipping |