President Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasized that this year’s budget has been designed to allocate funds by identifying key development priorities and addressing public needs, even within a constrained financial framework. He stressed that it is the responsibility of public officials to utilize these funds efficiently and fairly to ensure meaningful results.
The President made these remarks during a discussion with ministry secretaries at the Presidential Secretariat. He highlighted the importance of financial discipline among public officials and urged them to take accountability for managing state expenditures responsibly.
During the discussion, the President pointed out that public dissatisfaction with state institutions stems from inefficiencies in service delivery. He attributed these shortcomings to job dissatisfaction among public servants, which has contributed to reduced productivity. To improve the efficiency of the public sector, he emphasized the need for solutions that address these underlying issues.
President Dissanayake also noted that while the political leadership, including himself and the Cabinet, has taken measures to cut down on expenses, the public service must also play its role in minimizing administrative costs and reducing waste within state institutions.
To streamline state operations and reduce unnecessary expenditure, the discussion covered several key measures, including:
- Relocating government offices to state-owned buildings to eliminate rental costs.
- Planning an auction by March to dispose of high-maintenance ministry-owned vehicles.
- Removing unused office equipment and optimizing the use of resources.
- Identifying state institutions that should be either closed, merged, or privatized.
- Implementing urgent actions to restructure inefficient public institutions.
The meeting was attended by Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Prime Minister G.P. Saputhanthree, and other ministry secretaries.
This discussion marks a crucial step in the government’s efforts to improve financial accountability and streamline state operations, ensuring that resources are effectively utilized for national development.
