Following a shortage of certain positions in the public administration service being reported in the midst of the country’s economic situation, the Ministry of Public Administration, and Home Affairs, said that it is to fill all the existing vacancies in the position of ‘Divisional Secretary (DS)’ all over the island by the end of this month (April).

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (10), the State Minister for Home Affairs Ashoka Priyantha said that the Ministry is currently working to fill the existing vacancies, and that there are only a small number of vacancies for the said position left to be filled. He also noted that the Government was identifying the Divisional Secretariats with the vacancies during the past few months. Stating that the Government took certain important policy decisions to address the issues existing in the public administration service, Priyantha added that the Ministry has sought approval from the Public Service Commission (PSC) to appoint officers who joined the public administration service before 2015 to the posts of DSs. He also stated that since the PSC has given a recommendation to appoint only the first grade officers of the public administration to the posts of DSs, there has been an obstacle to the appointment of the second and third grade officers.

Several attempts made to contact the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, and Home Affairs, Pradeep Yasaratne proved futile.