President Mahinda Rajapaksa has emphasised that public servants should render an honourable service to the people without giving preference to their political ideologies.

He has requested the public servants to dedicate themselves to serve the people and rescue them from their burning problems. The President made these comments at a function held at Temple Trees to enlighten 296 new recruits to the Sri Lanka Administrative Service about the responsibilities of their duties. He said that the era of not holding regular examinations to recruit public servants is over now. He said the present government has taken a policy decision to hold examinations annually and fill the vacancies in the public service. The President disclosed that steps have been taken to recruit another 15,000 graduates to the public service. He said the strength of the public service which was only 700,000 has been increased to 1.3 million. He said that when foreign pressure was exerted to privatise state institutions the government disregarded those pressures and even reacquired the state institutions that were privatised in the past. He said that the government has transformed them as profitable institutions and protected the stability of the public service.

Minister W.D.J. Senevirathne said that a carder of public servants devoid of malpractices and corruption should be formed. He said that the public servant should be capable to handle matters in Sinhala, Tamil and English and be prepared to serve in any parts of the country. He emphasised that the public servants should shoulder the responsibilities of the huge development work being carried out in the country.

The Governor of the Central Bank Ajith Niward Cabral participating in the function said the international community has accepted that Sri Lanka which is marching towards becoming a wonder nation has a clear economic road map. At this function the former senior administrative officer A.P.A. Gunasekara delivered a special address. The Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration P.B. Abeykoon also addressed the function. The Deputy Minister Vijaya Dahanayaka also attended.