President to visit Ministries for progress assessment

Rasika Somarathna

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will visit ministries starting Monday to review work progress. This will include an evaluation of Key Performance Indicators against agreed targets.

He will also look into needs and discuss with officials challenges obstructing further development and help formulate plans for the future.

The review will also be used to formulate strategies for the government's 2013-2015 medium term investment programme on development.

The first such visit by the President will be to the Education Ministry, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunge said.

The Secretary recalled that the President had engaged in similar enedeavours at provincial and district level and these too were continuing.

Addressing the media at Temple Trees yesterday, he noted that one of the key aims of these endeavours was to ensure that service to the public is delivered at optimal levels at all times.

He said President Rajapaksa will go to the next level by visiting ministries and some key state departments to make an evaluation of their performance whilst identifying challenges and setting new targets.

"The Ministries will be divided to nine clusters depending on the subjects to make observations faster and easier," Weeratunge added.

The Secretary said the President constantly seeks information from the public and other sources about various issues including development and these are used during progress reviews at provincial and district levels.

In addition special teams too are deployed for the purpose 2-3 weeks prior to Presidents visit to an area, according to Secretary Weeratunge. A similar mechanism is to be used prior to evaluation of performance at ministries too.

He said President declared in the budget speech that 2013 will be the year of excellence in the public services.

Therefore, the government expects public servants to deliver an efficient and courteous service to the public at central, regional and grass roots levels, he added.

He said to realise this goal,the state sector has been advised to strengthen mechanisms to address public grievances, efficiently deploy human resources and make maximum use of ICTs.

Commenting further on President's extensive visits to ministries to review progress, he said this was one of first such endeavours by the head of the state.