The Cabinet of Ministers has given the go-ahead to appoint a committee to identify the priorities in essential recruitments and to recommend suitable timelines for them while making appropriate recommendations for the issues in the state sector in order to carry on the public service more efficiently and effectively.

The proposal was presented by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, as the Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government to review the recruitment process in the public service.

The committee will be presided over by the Secretary to the Prime Minister.

Joining the Cabinet press conference held this morning (Sep 13), Minister Ramesh Pathirana said that under the policy decisions taken by the previous governments from time to time, following the approved recruitment procedures, graduates and other categories of employees had been directly recruited for public service.

As a result, there is a surplus of employees in the public sector as a whole, however, it is reported that there are vacancies in certain categories of employees.

It was also mentioned in the Cabinet press conference that due to the government’s decision to suspend the recruitment for the public service in view of the current economic situation, actions that have been initiated to fill the vacancies for approved positions as per the provisions of the service minutes and recruitment procedures have to be called off.

Accordingly, by reviewing those matters, further appropriate measures will be taken regarding the problems that have arisen in the public service as a result of following different methods in recruitment for the public service, the minister emphasized further.