The Ministry of Finance today (26) issued a special circular to further control the state service sector expenditures.
The circular has been sent to all Secretaries of Ministries, Secretaries of State Ministries, Chief Secretaries of Provincial Councils, Heads of Parliament, District Secretaries, Heads of Public Corporations and Statutory Boards.
As the Sri Lankan economy reaches a critical juncture, the need to provide a more efficient and effective service to the public through the responsible and prudent use of public funds has become a matter of greater priority than ever before, the circular said.
Raising government revenue is a top priority to control this challenging situation.
However, it will take some time and until then government spending will have to be strictly controlled so that it can be used only for the most essential services.
Therefore, control of the payment of fuel and communication allowances, restrictions on water and electricity expenditure, cessation of building construction and renting, cessation of foreign study tours and training conducted by local funds, which have already been introduced by various circulars and will further mandate the suspension of various allowance payments made at the ministry or institutional level without the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers and the creation of new commitments for various welfare subsidies and development programs.
