President Calls For Stronger Public Service To Improve People's Lives

Colombo(News 1st); President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says that political leadership and the state machinery must work together to uplift the lives of the people. 

He made these comments while attending the Hambantota District Development Committee meeting.

The President also announced that the upcoming budget will include provisions to provide new vehicles for government officials engaged in fieldwork, including Divisional Secretaries, as many are currently forced to use vehicles that are over a decade old and in poor condition.

Addressing the broader state of the public sector, the President said that Sri Lanka’s government machinery has become weak and outdated over the years — with many public buildings in disrepair, a lack of skilled mid-level officers, and outdated software systems.

He said the government has already developed a plan to revitalize the state sector. 

As part of this plan, salaries of public servants will be significantly increased, and recruitment will resume to fill long-standing vacancies, especially in professional and technical roles.

The President added that a special committee has been set up at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat to review recruitment needs. 

Its recommendations are expected to be presented to the Cabinet soon, paving the way for the recruitment of over 30,000 personnel after a five-year gap.