• Govt./pvt. institutions request to use buildings including fmr. Prezs’/Mins’. official residences
• To be accommodated on priority basis, fees to be charged   

The Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government stated that they are currently reviewing the requests made by various parties for the use of buildings including those previously used by former Presidents and former Ministers as official residences and accommodating them based on priority.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, subject Minister Prof. A.H.M.H. Abayarathna said that the Ministry has received several requests from different Government and private institutions and is handing them over accordingly. 

“For now, we consider the requests made by various parties and accommodate them. For instance, we have given four buildings to establish special high courts,” he said.

He added that requests from private institutions will also be considered if they are reasonable. “If private institutions make fair requests, we will also consider them. Our aim is to use these buildings efficiently and effectively in a way that benefits the economy. Even if we grant them to Government institutions, we will charge a fee,” he noted.

Earlier, the Ministry stated that it had submitted evaluation reports on all official buildings under its purview – which were previously allocated to Ministers – to the Presidential Secretariat. Prof. Abayarathna said that the Secretariat had instructed the Ministry to provide all relevant information related to these properties.

The issue of official residences and other privileges granted to politicians has been the subject of intense public debate in recent years, with many arguing that such privileges for politicians are unnecessary and claiming that they contributed to the country’s economic collapse. 

The National People’s Power (NPP), during recent elections, pledged to abolish such facilities provided to politicians, framing them as an unfair burden on taxpayers. In line with this stance, Ministers and Deputy Ministers of the current NPP Government have not taken up official residences. On 10 September, the Parliament also passed legislation abolishing the official residences and several other privileges previously granted to former Presidents.