News
LSE don warns of repercussions of downsizing military
By Rathindra Kuruwita
There would be social and economic consequences of the decision to downsize the military as the rural economy in Sri Lanka had been in a state of crisis and stagnation long before the present economic crisis, Associate Professor of the London School of Economics and Political Science, Dr. Rajesh Venugopal told The Island.
He said that for a few decades the Army had been one of the few sources of formal sector employment for the rural south, particularly for young men of poor families.
“If this opportunity is taken away, it will have major consequences, and so we should expect greater rural joblessness, poverty, and pressure for young men to migrate both internally and externally. There could also be serious social and political consequences – we should not forget that unemployment and rural poverty in the rural south led to political radicalisation and social unrest in the 1970s and 1980s,” he said.
However, the reduction in the size of the military was necessary and long overdue, he added.
“Military expenditure has been a huge drain on national resources, and the present size and structure of armed forces are geared to fighting a war which ended 13 years ago. It is a pity that it required a serious economic crisis to arrive at this policy decision, but there have been strong political interests and economic incentives that have kept military spending and the headcount at high levels,” he said.
Sri Lanka’s military expenditure is largely recurrent, based on salaries and pensions of soldiers who have long service contracts, he said.
In terms of the provisions of the Establishments Code on payment of festival advance to government officers, there’s a possibility of obtaining rupees 10,000/- as an advance for celebrating festivals of Theipongal, Ramazan, Sinhala and Hindu New Year, Wesak, Deepavali, and Christmas as well as for pilgrimages (Sri Paada pilgrimage and Hajj pilgrimage).
Provisions have been given to recover the said advance in 08 installments or if required earlier without interest. It has been proposed by the Budget 2026 to increase the said festival advance up to rupees 15,000/-.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal submitted by the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local governments to revise the relevant provisions so that the festival advance can be increased up to rupees 15,000/- .
As per the approval given by the cabinet meeting held on 02-06-2025, action is being taken at present to offer the underutilized lands/properties of the Sri Lanka State Plantation Corporation, the Janatha Etate Development Board, and the Elkaduwa Plantation Company which are under the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure which have been identified under stage one to suitable investors.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Plantations and Community Infrastructure to provide following lands/properties on a lease basis to the suitable investors for optimal utilization following the prescribed procurement procedure.
• underutilized lands/properties identified under stage two owned by the Sri Lanka State Plantation Corporation, the Janatha Estate Development Board, and the Elkaduwa Plantation
Company,
• The Mawarala watte land and the Tea factory 40.48 hectares in extent, located in Matara District belonging to the Tea Shakthi Fund.
• The underutilized land of 1,541 hectares in extent of Kondachchi Estate is enjoyed by the Sri Lanka Cashew Corporation.
The drafting of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy has commenced with the objective of equitable distribution of the benefits of the fisheries industry and the sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture. This policy has been updated from time to time according to current requirements. However, steps have not been taken to obtain the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers for that purpose.
According to the policy declaration of the present government, ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendor’ the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy has been redrafted, updating the aforementioned policy in line with the economic and development objectives of the government.
The recommendations of the Department of National Planning have been received for the drafted policy.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Marine
Resources to implement the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy, integrating it with other relevant policies.
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Festival advance for government officers to be increased
Providing underutilized lands/properties to suitable investors for optimal utilization.
Implementation of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy
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