The Hon. B. Ariyawansha

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, today we debate the votes of the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government. In development terms this is one of the most important ministries, since state administration, District and Divisional Secretariats and local authorities are central to advancing national development.

¶ 02 Your Government has now completed one year in office. We have serious doubts that public officials have been able to serve contentedly. According to the last Budget you presented, only about 25 per cent of the development targets have been achieved to date. This indicates structural issues within the public machinery.

¶ 03 At provincial, district, divisional and local authority levels there are numerous problems. After local authority elections, when chairs and members started work, the central Government reduced the salary reimbursement by 20 per cent, with a further 40 per cent reduction next year. Many local authorities are low-revenue bodies. In my Ratnapura District—Kolonna, Weligepola, Ayagama—revenue is very low. Government should develop their revenue base rather than arbitrarily cutting funds.

¶ 04 Recall under the Gotabaya Rajapaksa Government, chemical fertilizer imports were halted overnight in favour of organic, pushing the country down. Likewise, do not cripple local authorities; build them up first, and then rationalize funding.

¶ 05 The 1987 No. 15 Pradeshiya Sabha Act empowered chairs and members to work. I myself served as a Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman and delivered much. Those powers have now been curtailed, and Governors and Commissioners control local bodies. Chairs and members must be empowered to serve the people, and funds must not be cut. Allocations should be equitable without bias towards ruling-party councils.

¶ 06 There have been no Provincial Council elections for over eight years, since 2017. Administration is by Governors or officials, and we have not seen grassroots development through PCs during this period. I urge that Provincial Council elections be held urgently, so people can judge your year of governance.

¶ 07 Management Service Officers (MSOs) face many issues. About 50,000 MSOs serve today. Based on their responsibilities, their salaries should be higher. Four years ago, the Director General of Combined Services made recommendations to the Public Service Commission and National Salaries Commission. Implement them.

¶ 08 Also, in the provincial public service there are around 2,000 MSO vacancies; conduct open and limited competitive exams to recruit. Raise minimum qualifications to degree level for recruitment and provide opportunities for serving officers to reach degree level; restore executive status to senior grades; and establish a clear promotion scheme. The Ministry endorsed salary increases and the Public Service Commission gave approval on 2011.08.11, four years ago. Since, as you say, the Treasury is sound, do justice to them. I table the relevant letter.

¶ 09 Placed in the Library.

¶ 10 Regarding Provincial Councils, many MPs here rose from local to provincial and now to Parliament—I too. For more than eight years, PC elections have not been held; citing legal issues, the system shifted from preferential to ward-based, delimitation was undertaken, and you have 159 MPs—over two-thirds. Pass the necessary amending laws and hold the PC elections expeditiously.

¶ 11 Local authorities deliver major services across the nine provinces. As Opposition MPs, we have not received decentralized allocations this past year—unlike under all previous governments—so we could not execute even minimal projects. Through local authorities, even in Opposition, we delivered much. Please restore that opportunity. I conclude. Thank you.