The Hon. (Mrs.) A.M.M.M. Rathwaththe

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, before I begin, I wish to briefly respond to a statement made by the Hon. Leader of the Opposition regarding the transfer of the Zonal Director of Education in my electorate, Dehiattakandiya. A complaint was lodged with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption by a group of principals over arbitrary acts during the printing of Grade 4 examination papers. The transfer was made pending investigations, not due to political reasons.

¶ 02 Regarding the Motion moved by Hon. Nizam Kariapper, while discussing retirement age limits in the public service, it is especially important to consider police officers. Unlike many public officers, police personnel cannot confine themselves to a fixed set of office duties. They often work 12 hours out of 24, and sometimes even 24 hours straight due to manpower constraints. Even after 50 years of age, they work outdoors in sun and rain. Owing to age limits, they also do not have the opportunity to switch to purely office duties. This is extremely difficult work.

¶ 03 When discussing retirement age, note that some officers wish to enjoy retirement with family but, sadly, some pass away within a short time thereafter due to illnesses prevalent after 50. Therefore, instead of increasing the retirement age, I believe it would be more appropriate—at least for such arduous services—to allow retirement at a minimum age of 55 so they can enjoy a dignified retirement.

¶ 04 Thank you for the time, Hon. Presiding Member.