In the wake of public servants seeking a salary increase by at least Rs. 20,000 through the upcoming Budget for next year (2024), the State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said that an “extensive analysis” is currently being carried out to decide on the rates at which the salaries will be raised.

With the Budget for 2024 scheduled to be presented to Parliament later this month (November), both public and private sector employees are urging the Government to raise their salaries considering the current economic situation, by at least Rs. 20,000. Many professional groups are even organising protests to demand the same.

The public servants are seeking a salary increase by Rs. 20,000, and in this context The Daily Morning queried Siyambalapitiya as to whether a final decision had been reached on the matter. In response, he said that President and Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had clearly stated that steps would be taken to raise the public servants' salaries. Accordingly, he said that a salary increase would definitely take place but that an 'extensive analysis' to determine the relevant rates is currently underway.

"In our country, there are 1.4 million public servants and 600,000 pensioners. Even if their salary is increased by Rs. 100, the cost to the Government is very high. Therefore, we need to do a serious analysis on how to do this. However, given the difficult situation that we all were in the past, the preparations to increase their salaries are very progressive. The President has even decided to request the private sector to increase the salaries of private sector employees."

The Cabinet of Ministers had recently approved a draft Appropriation Bill for 2024 presented by President Wickremesinghe. Presenting the Appropriation Bill, which sets out the expenditure plans for each Ministry, is the first stage of presenting a Budget for 2024. President Wickremesinghe recently assured a salary increase for the public servants.