News
JVP Leader warns of a looming danger of public sector administration breaking down
By Saman Indrajith
JVP/NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday warned Parliament of the danger of public administration collapsing owing to ongoing trade union action by the Grama Niladharis (GNs).
Making a special statement, Dissanayake said that the GNs countrywide had resorted to trade union action over several issues including salary anomalies. They recently had a countrywide sick-note campaign and thereafter they commenced a work-to-rule campaign on May 17. This campaign is scheduled to continue till June 2. The GN union collective has warned that if they do not get an acceptable solution by June 2, they would take severe actions.
The Cabinet approved a special salary scheme for the GNs, but the government was delaying its implementation, Dissanayake said. Some of the problems highlighted by the GNs had been there for years without being addressed. There is a danger that the entire administrative sector was coming to a standstill because GN is the lowest rung of the public sector administrative machinery, Dissanayake said.
Home Affairs State Minister Ashoka Priyantha said that the ministry had held several rounds of talks with the GNs on May 2 and May 11. Action had been taken to double the allowances for GNs on May 14. This proposal had been sent to the Public Service Commission on May 20. In addition, the government had recruited more than 1,000 GNs recently. The government’s attention had been drawn to the grievances highlighted by the GNs and it hoped that the GNs would respond accordingly by ending their union action, the minister said.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to award the contract for printing and supplying vehicle number plates for the Department of Motor Traffic for a period of five (5) years to M/s South Asian Technologies based on the recommendations of the High-Level Standing Procurement Committee and the Procurement Appeal Board.
The National Lotteries board has been established subject to the Finance Act No. 11 of 1963. Having identified the requirement of amending that act which was imposed around 62 years to cater the current requirements of the lottery market, the Cabinet of Mnisters at their meeting held on 14.02.2017 granted approval to draft a new bill for the purpose.
Accordingly, the National Lotteries Board has recognized further amendments to be performed to the fundamental draft bill prepared by the Legal Draftsmen.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the
resolution furnished by the President in his office as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to direct the Legal Draftsmen to finalize the formulation of the draft bill for the National Lotteries Board as soon as possible including the proposed new amendments as well.
The Werahara office of the Department of Motor Traffic performs issuance of temporary driving licenses in this country based on the driving licenses issued overseas, and measures have been initiated to render the service from a service window of the Department of Motor Traffic established at the Bandaranayake International Airport from 03.08.2025.
The fees charged for issuing temporary driving licenses have been published in Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 prepared under the provisions of the Motor Traffic (Authority 203) Act.
But, as the fee of Rupees 2,000/- charged for the service is not sufficient, the requirement of amending the regulations has been recognized.
The regulations for introducing the revised fees have been published in the government extraordinary gazette
notification No. 2463/04 dated 17.11.2025. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to
submit the regulations to the Parliament for its concurrence.
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M/s South Asian Technologies awarded contract to supply vehicle number plates
A new act for National Lotteries Board to be introduced
Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 to be amended
Mrs. P. K. L. S. Panduwawala appointed to the post of Surveyor General
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