Text and pictures
by PRIYAN DE SILVA
The Sri Lanka Administrative Service Association (SLASA) yesterday (18) aired its concerns about the present crisis the country is facing and submitted its proposals for the economic and social resurgence to a gathering comprising of clergy, members of Parliament, trade union leaders, officials of non-governmental organisations, the media and its members, at the Mahaweli Centre.
President of SLASA, Rohana de Silva, addressing those present, said that wrong economic and social policies had been the root cause of the present situation and admitted that a number of administrative lapses had aggravated it.
He said that the guidance extended to the lawmakers, both individually, and as a union, from time to time, had had no effect at all. Hence the Association had been compelled to present the proposals to others in the public service and the general public before the ongoing economic crisis worsened.
The SASA President said that since 1972 the public service had become subject to the control of the Cabinet-of-Ministers and the public service had been acting according to the whims and fancies of politicians. He added that it was imperative that the public service be an independent professional service to overcome the present crisis.
Among the changes proposed are that the 19th Amendment to the constitution be reinstated, the staff of the President limited, and a 10-member constitutional council be formed to appoint all independent commissions, including the National Procurement Commission, to limit the number of Ministers to twenty five (25) and the number of Deputy Ministers to be limited to 25, as well.
That all Cabinet papers should be approved by a ‘Policy Council’ comprising of persons competent for policy formulation before they are submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers.
SLASA recommends the introduction of provisions to the constitution to strengthen the Commission to investigate allegations of bribery or corruption. SLASA also recommends that the Committee on Public Accounts and the Committee on Public Enterprise be strengthened further to streamline the control of public finance.
Among the proposals for economic management are the reintroduction of the PAYEE tax system, and that all officers who are subject to pay PAYEE tax should pay it from their salaries and not through their institutions. The reintroduction of the Withholding Tax, immediate suspension of tax exemptions, revision of the qualifying level for payment of Personal Income Tax and Value Added Tax, exemption of corporate income tax to be done under a proper methodology.
Recommendations were also made for the agriculture, education, energy and industry sectors.
Welcoming the proposals submitted by SASA, trade union leaders present aired their displeasure that the SASA had not objected to persons outside the service being appointed to administrative posts. It was also suggested that the members of SASA should refuse to carry out orders given by a government which has not been democratically elected or has lost the trust and mandate of the masses.
NGO head Manjula Gajanayaka, who was in the audience, said that it was an encouraging sign that members of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service had openly voiced their concerns.
Gajanayaka added it was the first occasion that the association had stood by the public.
