Significant salary hike for govt servants

COL allowance of Rs. 25,000 for three years:
Basic salary to be increased by 24% to 35%:
Minimum wage with allowances for lowest grade is Rs. 55,000:

Cabinet Spokesman and Mass Media Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana yesterday said that the minimum initial monthly salary of the government service will rise from a minimum percentage of 24 percent.

“The minimum initial monthly salary of the government service will rise from a minimum percentage of 24 percent while taking the gross salary as Rs.55,000 with cost of living allowance and adjust and calculate the initial salary of all other designations accordingly, the Minister said. The Minister said all employees of all sectors in the public service will receive a payment of a monthly cost of living allowance of Rs.25,000 from budget 2025.

He was speaking at the weekly Cabinet media briefing held at the Government Information Department yesterday.

Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers has been granted at their meeting held on May 27, 2024 to appoint a specialist committee to submit a report comprised of recommendations for implementing proposals for revision of salaries in all sectors of the public service from the budget 2025, subsequent to reviewing salaries, wages and other remunerations of the State sector.

Accordingly, the specialist committee appointed headed by former Secretary to the President, Udaya Senevirathne has held discussions with public officers and major trade unions in the public sector and has submitted an interim report subsequent to analyzing the relevant information.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has granted their consent to the proposal forwarded by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies Minister to grant policy approval to the following proposals recommended in the report recommending salary revisions in all sectors of the public service and implement the relevant proposals by including them in the budget of 2025.

Categorisation of all designations in the entire public service into four levels, and grouping them into sub-categories of recruitment, based on Sri Lanka Qualifications Framework (SLQF) and the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) as well as the relevant role, responsibility of the employment and the considering the ability to attract and sustain especially skilled employees in special employments. Following appropriate selection methodologies based on Sri Lanka Qualifications Framework, national vocational qualification as fundamental recruitment qualification even for primary service categories as per service requirement.

Recruitments to be made to all other service categories through formal competitive examinations and interviewing methods.

Accordingly, revising the existing approved service minutes appropriately soon. Implementation of this new salary and allowance methodology for all government institutions excluding trading state companies and banks and taking measures to limit the total staff of the public sector by 2030 to one million (1,000,000) or less.

Introduction of e-governance from the electronic systems accordingly in every sector in the entire public service within three years through digitalisation and automation and pioneering the public investment for that.Implementation of a medical insurance scheme that awards more attractive benefits with a monthly minimum contribution of Rs.1,000 including for all employees and pensioners of the government sector with effect from January 2025.

Obtaining services following precise methodologies to maximise the efficiency to minimize the government cost through methods such as outsourcing as far as possible.

Implementation of the restructuring programme for state departments/corporations/statutory institutions by initialising them as Public Liability Companies listed in the stock market.

Performing a precise work study, taking actions in 2025 to scientifically study the entire state sector staff and services.

Accordingly, all public sector employees will be given performance indicators and the salary increments will be awarded based on their progress. Awarding the claimed salary increments for government officers who retired prior to 2020 and clearing their relevant salary anomalies by revising their pension will also happen.

From January 2025, pensioners will be given 50 percent of the cost of living allowance given to the public employees engaged in active service. Subject to management of this expenditure within the existing tax policy itself, implementation of this method of salary and implementation of the proposed method of salary with effect from January 1, 2025 considering the state finance space as well.

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