President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening district-level development and improving public service delivery, including dedicated Budget allocations for each district and the resettlement of 13,000 war-displaced families next year…
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening district-level development and improving public service delivery, including dedicated Budget allocations for each district and the resettlement of 13,000 war-displaced families next year. The announcements were made during a two-day conference attended by District Secretaries from across the country, held at the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government in Colombo. President Dissanayake, who inaugurated the conference, said the 2027 Budget would provide separate financial allocations for each district to enable urgent repairs to bridges, roads and public buildings approved by District Coordinating Committees without delays. He also said the Government is making arrangements to resettle 13,000 families displaced by the conflict during the coming year and stressed the need to complete abandoned housing projects following proper assessments while ensuring development activities do not encroach on protected forest areas. The President reiterated that building an efficient public service remains a Government priority, calling for the rationalisation of unproductive institutions and the filling of vacancies in essential sectors, including health, education and the Government Analyst’s Department. The second day of the conference, chaired by Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Professor Chandana Abeyratne, focused on operational issues affecting district administration, including staff shortages at district and divisional secretariats, the annual transfer of public officials and fuel allowance-related concerns. Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage briefed District Secretaries on plans to develop sports facilities in every district, while discussions also covered measures to strengthen the Aswesuma welfare program, introduce a mechanism to grant tax concessions on agricultural equipment directly to farmers and expedite approvals for leasing State lands. The conference concluded with agreement on the need to strengthen coordination among Government institutions to improve the speed and effectiveness of public service delivery.