News
New Govt. suspends UNF’s programmes
The new Government has put on hold a string of concessionary loan schemes, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects of state institutions and an estimated 7,000 jobs provided shortly ahead of the presidential election by the former UNF government, officials said.
Newly appointed Treasury Secretary S.R. Attygalle has issued circulars and instructions to banks, ministries, departments and state owned enterprises informing them of the decision.
Among those projects put on hold are at least 11 concessionary loan schemes introduced under the ‘Enterprise Sri Lanka’ programme and implemented through state banks.
State banks confirmed that the loan schemes had been put on hold and that applications would not be processed.
The Treasury Secretary has also instructed government offices not to make fresh appointments of project pfficers, management service staff and development officers. These appointments had been put on hold due to the presidential election.
The circular was sent to ministry secretaries, provincial chief secretaries, district secretaries, department heads and chairpersons of corporations and statutory boards. It directed them to halt all fresh appointments until further notice and further review.
A Treasury official said that at least 7,000 appointments were put on hold.
In a circular to the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Treasury Secretary instructed it to suspend recruitment until further notice.
Meanwhile, there is uncertainty about hundreds of people who were selected for the posts of Management Assistants after examinations and interviews.
Another 1300 fresh appointments of jailors, prison guards and matrons were also put on hold by the Prisons Department following instructions from the Presidential Secretariat. Applications for these vacancies were called before the polls.
The Treasury Secretary in another circular suspended Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities of state-owned enterprises (SoEs). The circular noted that SoEs had been executing a vast number of CSR activities, including sponsorships, donations, and advertisements, without a clear objective of achieving the government’s development goals.
“You are kindly requested to suspend the CSR activities of your agency until further notice,” the circular said, adding that the chief accounting officer, members of the board of management and chief executive officers (CEO) would be held personally responsible, if any CSR activities were continued or initiated notwithstanding the said instructions.
Meanwhile, a circular issued by the Presidential Secretariat, suspending foreign tours of all State employees, was amended later to include strict administrative procedures.
Accordingly, state employees can continue their higher studies or educational trips abroad only after submitting adequate documents justifying the purpose of the trip along with the approval of the respective department.
Meanwhile, Treasury officials said previous government’s ambitious development projects such as Gamperaliya Rapid Rural Development Project and Enterprise Sri Lanka are under review.
The United National Front (UNF) government had allocated Rs 48.81 billion for the these projects.