• Vijitha Herath responds claiming no Treasury endorsement as Kanchana claims 
• Fmr. Prez Wickremesinghe reminds the Govt. that the current Presidential advisor was a member of the Udaya R. Seneviratne Committee

Cabinet Spokesperson Vijitha Herath assured that while the Cabinet of Ministers is committed to fulfilling salary-related promises, a concrete increase will only be feasible starting next year (in 2025).

He confirmed that no funds have been allocated to increase salaries for public sector employees, contrary to the previous Government’s announcements. Herath cited findings from a report by Udaya R. Seneviratne, indicating that since January, no financial provision has been made for salary increments within the public sector. 

“We haven’t even assessed if funds are available for this purpose,” he noted. Herath further emphasised that although the Cabinet can make policy decisions, there is currently no fiscal pathway to implement them.

In 2024, a Government directive was issued to adjust public service allowances and pension contributions. However, according to Herath, any relief tied to living expenses remains limited to an interim payment of Rs. 5,000 per month until March of next year (2025), leaving the promised increase in question. 

Herath criticised the previous administration’s handling of the issue, stating that “the country was misled” and pledged transparency moving forward. 

Meanwhile, at the Cabinet press briefing yesterday (29), Herath explained that while the proposal to increase salaries was initially submitted by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s administration and approved by the Cabinet, it faced obstacles due to a lack of endorsement from the Treasury. 

“This funding gap has led to challenges in executing the approved salary increases. While the Cabinet can make decisions, there is currently no established mechanism to fund these increments,” Herath noted. 

Herath also clarified that a formal circular would be issued on 10 January 2025, as per the 2025 Budget proposals, addressing adjustments to the cost-of-living allowance, the widowers' pensions, and other non-contributory pensions within the public sector. This circular will detail that the outstanding cost-of-living allowance, accumulated from January to March 2024, will be addressed by providing a monthly Rs. 5,000 payment from January to March 2025. 

“We assure public sector employees that we will never deceive you. While we cannot specify the exact amount now, we guarantee a salary increase in 2025,” he said.

However, former Minister Kanchana Wijesekera responded to recent statements made by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya regarding State sector salary increases, calling them “false and misleading”. Wijesekera took to the social media platform X to clarify the steps taken by the previous Government led by Wickremesinghe, in preparing for salary adjustments in the public sector beginning in January, 2025. In his post, Wijesekera outlined that the Wickremesinghe administration had implemented all necessary procedures to authorise salary increments for State sector employees. According to him, Cabinet approval was granted in May, 2024, to establish a committee to assess State sector requirements and review potential salary increases. This committee, Wijesekera noted, held consultations with trade unions and relevant stakeholders to address the issues facing public sector employees. "The committee’s recommendations were handed over to the President, presented to the Cabinet, and approved in August, 2024," he stated. Wijesekera further elaborated that in August, 2024, the Cabinet endorsed incorporating the committee’s recommendations into the 2025 Budget proposals, along with allocating the required funds to support the proposed increments. The committee, he mentioned, included officials from the Treasury, the Budget Department, the Management Services Department, and other key stakeholders, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of the State sector’s financial requirements.

Addressing a political gathering yesterday (29) in Pannala, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe stood his ground on the process followed based on the report by Udaya R. Seneviratne which was used to obtain cabinet support for the planned public sector salary increments. He also pointed out that the Seneviratne committee including the current president's advisor Duminda Hulangamuawa.