No more state functions at luxury hotels – President issues circular

The government has issued a circular under the advice of President Maithripala Sirisena to all ministries, departments and boards not to use luxury hotels for their events and meetings.

All state officials have been instructed to only organise state functions and meetings at auditoriums and institutions connected to the government.

The President has notified that the use of private hotels, especially luxury hotels, as the venues for functions, meetings and various programmes is prohibited for all state institutions including ministries, departments, corporations and statutory boards.

The President’s Media Division said that all state officials have been notified of this through a circular issued today (6), on the instructions of the President. 

The President has taken this decision with the intention of controlling state expenditure and to prevent the excessive wastage of state funds through the organising of state events and programmes at luxury hotels at a high cost despite there being a number of auditoriums and institutions connected to the government which can be used as venues for them.