The Ministry of Public Administration has announced a major recruitment drive to fill 30,000 vacancies across the public sector, including roles in administration, planning, science, and essential grassroots services such as Grama Niladharis.
The ministry said that all appointments will be made through competitive examinations to ensure merit-based selection.
While the move aims to strengthen government service delivery and address long-standing vacancies in key departments, it has also reignited debate over the size and sustainability of Sri Lanka’s public sector, which is often labelled as bloated and financially burdensome.
Meanwhile, public finance experts have raised concerns about the long-term fiscal implications of expanding a state sector that already consumes a significant share of national expenditure.
With citizens bearing high tax rates to sustain public services, they point out that greater focus should be placed on efficiency, digitisation, and structural reforms rather than expansion.
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