Former Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa who is on the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna National List opined that both former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and incumbent President Anura Kumara Dissanayake have misled government employees over the salary hike by making false promises during their campaigns to garner votes. 

“Now, with each pledging an increment, it seems that the matter has hit a dead end, with both passing the buck to each other. Government employees are the backbone of our country; misleading them will only lead to frustration and turmoil. I call on both leaders to provide an explanation and for President Dissanayake to fulfill his pledge,” Rajapaksa  said on the social media platform X.

Dissanayake’s Government has said that Wickremesinghe’s proposed salary hike for the public sector has not followed the necessary procedures and also that no monies have been allocated for the same while Wickremesinghe claims otherwise. The National People’s Power Government has however said that a salary increment will only be possible next year (2025), but have not mentioned specific details of amounts or a timeframe.