A crisis was prevailing at the Government Printing Department due to the absence of a permanent Government Printer, Parliament was told yesterday, raising concerns over confidentiality, quality control and national security.

NDF MP Ravi Karunanayake demanded to know what steps the government had taken to fill the long-standing vacancy at the department, describing the situation as a serious administrative lapse.

“The Government Printing Department is a very important and closed service category institution. However, it has been functioning without a permanent Government Printer for some time,” Karunanayake said.

The MP pointed out that the department handles highly sensitive material, including documents related to defence and national security, as well as other classified publications.

“The non-availability of a permanent Government Printer affects the quality, confidentiality and sustainability of the work there. Has the Government conducted an audit on the possible issues arising from this situation? What immediate action has been taken to resolve this crisis?” he asked.

Responding on behalf of the Government, Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya said the vacancy had been filled on a temporary basis following a Cabinet decision.

She said an experienced officer from the Sri Lanka Administrative Service had been appointed on contract as Acting Government Printer to ensure operational continuity and maintain security standards in relation to sensitive printing tasks.

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the issue reflected broader systemic weaknesses in public service recruitment and professional development that had persisted for years.

“To bridge these gaps, the Government is initiating specialised training programmes and offering international scholarships for high-performing students to build future technical capacity,” she said.

Chief Government Whip and Health and Mass Media Minister Dr Nalinda Jayatissa said that under existing service minutes, more than two decades of experience were required for an officer to qualify for the top post, and that there were currently no internal candidates eligible for appointment.

He said that the department was facing a leadership crisis and administrative instability due to the lack of a permanent, qualified Government Printer.

By Saman Indrajith