Delegation to visit Canada:

Govt to work towards bilingual public service

Irangika RANGE

The National Languages and Social Integration Ministry will conduct a survey to study the possibility of making the public service bilingual. Accordingly, a top level delegation will leave for Canada this week to study the National Language policy there and also the bilingual public service in that country.

The Canadian Government has pledged to provide financial assistance to make the State service bilingual in Sri Lanka.

The program will be launched on the directions of National Languages and Social Integration Minister S.B.Nawinna to implement an effective national language policy which is embodied in the Mahinda Chinthana policy framework.

Plans have been drawn to develop a national policy to improve the usage of official languages in the public service, National Languages and Social Integration Minister S.B. Nawinna said.

The Minister further said that improved employee language skills and enhanced official language capabilities among the Government institutions would pave the way for an efficient and effective public service.

The delegation is due to hand over a full report of the study to Minister Nawinna on their return to the country. The team will study the policies and systems on language bilingualism in the State Language Commission, Universities and Parliament committees in Canada.

The Canadian International Development Agency has made all arrangements for this.