Incentives for language proficiency

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

State officers who are receiving incentives for their language proficiency should be compelled not only to translate official letters into their mother tongue but also reply in the same language without having the service of a translator,said the Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry Secretary P.B.Abeykoon.

All heads of departments should device a way to maintain the service of these officers without the use of translators. If these officers fail to do their duties in a correct manner the heads of the departments have the power to stop all these incentives, he added.

The Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry has taken measures to pay incentives to state officials having proficiency in more than one language through the public administration circulars No:29/98 and 03/2007.

The government has taken a decision to make use of the language proficiency of government servants in their day to day functions, Abeykoon further added.