The Pulseline News Desk
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has announced that the Ministry of Finance has appointed a committee to examine the closure or merger of 34 state institutions identified as unnecessary or inefficient, signalling a further push to restructure the public sector.
Addressing the 100th Annual Conference of the Government Surveyors’ Association at Waters Edge in Battaramulla on Friday (23), the President has said the review was part of broader efforts to establish a more efficient public service while addressing structural weaknesses in state administration.
He has attributed excessive staffing at lower levels of the public service to political appointments made by successive governments, saying these had created a substantial financial burden on the state.
The proposed review comes as the Government seeks to improve public sector efficiency while managing rising recurrent expenditure and making state employment more attractive to skilled professionals.
Dissanayake has said that attracting and retaining qualified personnel, particularly engineers, information technology specialists and managers, had become increasingly difficult, highlighting the need to improve the public service’s capacity to recruit and retain professionals.
On public sector remuneration, the President has said the Government’s three-phase increase in basic salaries, covering 2025, 2026 and 2027, would cost approximately Rs. 110 billion annually for each phase.
The cumulative increase would raise annual salary expenditure by Rs. 330 billion in 2027 compared with 2024, he has said.
However, Dissanayake has confirmed that the Government had no plans for a further increase in basic salaries under the 2028 Budget, while indicating that allowances could receive greater consideration.
The Government’s challenge, he has said, was to build a public administration system capable of translating economic recovery into tangible benefits for people at the grassroots level.
He has stressed that efficient state institutions were essential to resolving land-related issues and improving access to agricultural services, education and healthcare.
The President has also pledged support for modernising the surveying service through advanced technology, human resource development and reforms to existing service regulations.
According to the President’s Media Division, the Government is prepared to allocate funds for modern surveying equipment following an assessment of the sector’s technological requirements.
The proposed review of 34 state institutions adds another dimension to the Government’s public sector reform agenda, which must balance institutional efficiency and fiscal discipline with the need to retain skilled professionals and deliver essential services.
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