Public service reform to bear fruit by 2015 - Minister

Ridma Dissanayake

All measures are in place to convert the public service to make it adapt to the modern world by 2015 through the introduction of a number of reforms, Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister W D J Seneviratne said.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has taken measures to establish a people - friendly public service in Sri Lanka while developing social and democratic values. He has also given priority to create an efficient and humane public service system in the Mahinda Chinthana future vision, he said.

Sri Lanka is on a fast track towards development. Government servants have to play a vital role in the country's development programme. Only policy formation and marketing strategies are not enough to make the best public service. Launching development programmes efficiently is also very important. Information technology is another important thing for the development of the public sector of Sri Lanka, the minister said.

"The Mahinda Chinthana future vision has given priority to eradicate poverty and malnutrition while trying to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by 2015. The government aims to increase the per capita income to USD 4000," he said.

"We in Sri Lanka suffered from terrorism for over three decades and the government has another challenge to normalise the public administration in war affected areas. The government has taken measures to re-establish all these things while uplifting the livelihoods in these areas," he said.

"We have taken measures to improve knowledge and professional skills to uplift the public service in the Northern and Eastern provinces," Minister Seneviratne said.