• Argues scientific process was followed to select cadre requirements for State services 

The Sri Lankan public service is at a critical juncture as decades of unfilled vacancies have weakened the State administrative system, prompting President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to call for a massive recruitment drive while underscoring the urgent need for a comprehensive cadre assessment.

Delivering his 2026 Budget speech in Parliament, President Dissanayake acknowledged that the lack of proper staffing had hampered the efficiency of Government operations, particularly in vital areas such as technical services, law enforcement, and revenue collection.

This, despite strong concerns expressed by economists over the last decade about the bloated nature of the State service, which has been plagued by inefficiency, corruption, and politicisation. The International Monetary Fund bailout plan, which Sri Lanka has signed on to and is still committed to, according to the Government, encourages Sri Lanka to ‘trim the fat’ of the State sector. 

The current recruitment drive is seemingly on a collision course with the Government’s digitalisation drive, which aims to improve State services, reduce overheads, and improve accountability. 

“This is not just about filling positions; it is about restoring the backbone of the State administration while ensuring that recruitment and promotion are conducted in a fair and merit-based manner,” the President said.

A historic recruitment drive

In an effort to address long-standing gaps, the Government has approved the recruitment of nearly 75,000 individuals through standardised procedures. These recruitments will cover essential positions, including technical officers, law enforcement personnel, and revenue officers, whose roles are critical to maintaining core State functions.

The President emphasised that going forward, all recruitments, promotions, and related functions in the public sector would strictly follow prescribed examinations and service regulations, free from political interference. This approach, he added, would ensure equal opportunities for young men and women across the country, thereby creating a more transparent and efficient public service.

To complement the recruitment initiative, President Dissanayake also announced several measures aimed at improving the financial and welfare benefits of public servants. These measures include a restructured housing and property loan scheme, providing loans up to Rs. 5 million at concessional interest rates, and adjustments to the ‘Agrahara’ insurance scheme to maintain health benefits. 

Other financial improvements include an increase in the interest-free festival advance from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000, and raising the distress loan advance from Rs. 250,000 to Rs. 400,000, with a 4.2% interest rate. A total allocation of Rs. 10 billion has been made to expand public servants’ advance account limit, ensuring the timely issuance of these benefits.

Cadre assessment: A critical requirement

While the immediate recruitment drive is necessary to restore operational capacity, experts warn that a full assessment of the public service cadre is essential to ensure that staffing matches the current economic and technological needs of the country.

University of Colombo (UOC) Department of Economics Prof. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan highlighted the urgency of filling existing vacancies while emphasising the long-term importance of cadre review. 

“If we don’t have drivers to run trains, we cannot wait until the cadre is reviewed,” he said. “There is a clear shortage of train drivers, and similar gaps exist across other Government services. Until a comprehensive revision is completed to identify shortages and excesses, the system must continue to function.”

Prof. Gunaruwan also pointed out that the changing nature of work, particularly with the recent digital boom, had altered staffing requirements. 

“Some jobs that previously required human involvement can now be automated, while other roles have expanded due to economic growth. A full assessment by the appointed committee is necessary to align workforce requirements with these evolving demands,” he said.

Historical context of SL’s civil service

The roots of Sri Lanka’s civil service date back to the administration of the coastal areas by the East India Company in 1796. Initially managed from Madras, the system was formalised in 1802 with the appointment of officers from Great Britain. This marked the beginning of the modern civil service in the country. In 1833, it was officially named the Ceylon Civil Service, modelled on the British Civil Service.

Over the decades, the service underwent several transformations. In 1963, it was renamed the Ceylon Administrative Service, integrating the Divisional Revenue Officers’ Service. Following Sri Lanka’s transition to a republic in 1972, it became the Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS), which remains the principal administrative body in the country.

The SLAS Minute of 1 July 2012, replacing the earlier 2005 Minute, formalised the structure, responsibilities, and promotion framework of the service. The SLAS is tasked with guiding policy formulation, coordinating with local and foreign institutions, overseeing provincial and district administration, managing public finances, and ensuring accountability to Parliament.

The approved SLAS cadre consists of 2,906 posts across all grades, including 301 Special Grade posts, 860 Grade I posts, and 1,745 Grade II posts. Each post approved for islandwide service remains under the respective service, ensuring continuity in administrative functions.

Alongside the SLAS, several specialised public services play critical roles in governance.

• Sri Lanka Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Service: Established to modernise the public service through ICT, the service maintains coordination with internal and external institutions to implement Government ICT policies. As of November 2020, the ICT Service cadre comprised 131 posts in Class 1, 455 posts in Class 2, and 2,670 posts in Class 3. Recruitment is conducted through open and limited streams, with candidates selected via competitive examinations.
• Sri Lanka Engineering Service: As of July 2024, the service comprises 1,125 posts. Recruitment occurs under an Open Stream (75% of vacancies) for candidates with recognised engineering qualifications and professional registration and a Limited Stream (25%) for experienced officers with at least 15 years of service in related technical roles.
• Sri Lanka Scientific Service: Administered under the Ministry of Public Administration, the service manages recruitment, promotion, transfers, and disciplinary actions. The approved cadre includes 653 posts, of which 445 are currently filled.

Workforce distribution and challenges

The 2016 Census of Public and Semi-Government Sector Employment revealed that 41.8% of employees possessed professional or vocational qualifications. Gender disparities were evident, with 57.6% of female employees holding such qualifications compared to only 29.1% of males.

Field-wise, the majority of qualifications were concentrated in education, language, and teaching. For males, technical fields such as motor vehicle operation, electrical work, and IT were common, while females were more concentrated in health-related professions. Interestingly, 65% of IT-qualified employees were female, suggesting a notable shift in traditional gender roles within professional sectors.

Geographically, public sector employment is unevenly distributed. Colombo leads with approximately 225,000 employees (20.3% of the workforce), followed by Gampaha and Kandy at 7.3% each. Rural districts like Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, and Mannar have less than 1% representation. Such disparities may lead to inefficiencies in service delivery, highlighting the importance of aligning recruitment with regional needs.

The current recruitment push is seen as a necessary stopgap, but experts stress that without a strategic cadre assessment, structural inefficiencies will persist. A comprehensive review would identify critical shortages, redundancies, and areas where automation or digital solutions could reduce staffing needs. It would also ensure that the distribution of personnel aligns with population density, regional development, and service demand, reducing disparities between urban and rural districts.

“Public services must evolve with the economic and technological landscape,” Prof. Gunaruwan said. “A cadre assessment is not just an administrative formality; it is essential for creating an agile, responsive, and equitable public service capable of meeting the demands of a modern economy.”

The Government has appointed a Cadre Review Committee to undertake this critical task. While immediate recruitment continues to fill urgent gaps, the review will provide a roadmap for long-term workforce planning, ensuring that Sri Lanka’s public service can deliver efficient and equitable services to all citizens.

Systematic evaluation 

Addressing concerns over the substantial number of new employees being added to the Government’s existing cadre, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri – who also chairs the Government’s Cadre Review Committee – told The Sunday Morning that the committee had been systematically evaluating all cadre absorption requests submitted by State institutions. 

He noted that the committee had already recommended the approval of approximately 75,000 new recruitments.

“The decision to absorb 75,000 employees was made in line with the committee’s recommendations. To date, we have reviewed about 40% of the total requests and we continue to brief the Cabinet on a weekly basis. 

“In addition to the cadre absorption already announced, we have proposed a further 20,000 appointments for the education sector. Altogether, total cadre absorption for this year will reach around 100,000 – possibly even slightly higher,” Saputhanthri explained.

When questioned whether the committee was conducting an independent, sector-wide evaluation of the State workforce, Saputhanthri clarified that the current phase focused on requests submitted by individual institutions. 

“Our task at this stage is to assess whether each request is scientifically justified and essential under present conditions. This immediate review is intended to ensure the smooth functioning of the State sector, which has not seen a major recruitment drive in nearly five years.”

He added that once these urgent and critical vacancies were addressed, the committee would move on to a comprehensive, independent assessment of the existing State cadre and recommend the structural reforms needed for long-term efficiency and sustainability.