Sri Lanka to close down over 50 project offices

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Sri Lankan Government has decided to close down 55 project officers that employ a large number of personnel.

Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Bandula Gunawardena made the announcement during the Cabinet Media Briefing on Tuesday (7).

The Cabinet of Ministers had decided to close down the project offices based on the recommendations of the committee appointed to review the Project Offices (POs) and Project Management Units (PMUs).

In the 2022 Interim Budget, the President proposed that the functions of the Project Offices and Project Management Units established for various purposes should be reviewed, taking into account the Cost and recruitment of considerable staff.

Accordingly, a committee under the chairmanship of H.T. Kamal Padmasiri a former ministry secretary was appointed to review and make recommendations as to whether
the desired objectives of those Project Offices and Project Management Units have been achieved and whether they should be continued. 

The committee has recommended to close down 55 existing Project Management Units, to suspend the activities of 32 others and to run 46 Project Management Units with minimum staff. 

Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Bandula Gunawardena said the matter was extensively discussed in cabinet, and as per the request made by the Ministers the President had agreed to reach a decision on closing down all 55 project offices in the future.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance Economic Stabilization and National Policies to implement the recommendations of the committee report.