Minister of Finance & Mass Media, Mangala Samaraweera has extended an invitation to the Rotary Club of Sri Lanka to partner with the Finance Ministry on specific projects initiated by the Ministry. This invitation was extended by Samaraweera during a meeting with Dushan Soza, District Governor of Rotary Sri Lanka and Senake Amerasinghe, Past District Governor of Rotary Sri Lanka at the Finance Ministry today (10^th). District Governor Dushan Soza briefed Samaraweera on the blueprint for Rotary activities in Sri Lanka for the next 3 years and the Minister greatly appreciated the yeomen service rendered by the Rotary movement of Sri Lanka, especially in the Health Sector, a statement said. Samaraweera last month stated that the big drug businessmen were “in Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs and Buddhist organisations,” and that “they are the ones who should be arrested.” This was met with fierce criticism from members of these organizations, after which Samaraweera issued an apology for his statement, saying that he inadvertently mentioned Rotarians and Lions Clubs. “There may be some individuals in society that join various organizations for such reasons. However, I fully recognize and acknowledge that this does not,in anyway, diminish the noble charitable work which has been, and continues to be done by these organizations throughout the country, especially for the poor, needy, destitute and the vulnerable,” he said.