Senior Minister Amunugama tells SAARC PCSCs
Don Asoka Wijewardena
Most low income groups in Sri Lanka are eking out an existence on just one and a half dollars a day and poverty is common among some local social segments, Senior Minister for International Monetary Cooperation and Deputy Finance Minister Sarath Aminugama said.
Addressing the 3rd Conference of the Public Civil Services Commissions of the SAARC Region yesterday at the Cinnamon Grand, the minister said Sri Lanka had been able to witness a 7.5 per cent economic growth rate.A Performance Management System to streamline the local Public Service Commission would be introduced soon.
Sri Lanka’s constitution, he said, had given powers to the Public Service Commission (PSC) to oversee recruitment, promotions and transfers in the public sector. Unfair dismissals,equitable holiday payments for public servants are other matters that come under the PSC.
Amunugama added that the duty of the PSC was to solve the numerous work-related problems of the public servants. The services provided by the local PSC were laudable, because it had been performing its duties independently since the inception.
The minister emphasized that under no circumstances should the PSC succumb to the pressure from politicians as it was supposed to be an apolitical organization. Public Service Commissions in the SAARC region were responsible for eradicating poverty as it was considered to be the cause of social underdevelopment.
IS
