President says to urgently utilize ministerial bungalows for productive economic activities.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed that steps be taken to promptly utilize the official residences and bungalows used by former ministers in a manner that is productive for the country's economy. He stated this during a special discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat.

The main objective of this meeting was to review the progress of the budget allocations made for the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government in 2026, as well as to discuss budget proposals for the year 2027.

During this discussion, the current status and future plans of projects based on capital expenditure of Rs. 60,430.04 million and recurrent expenditure of Rs. 706,226.83 million allocated from the 2026 budget under the sectors of Public Administration, Home Affairs, and Local Government were extensively reviewed. The President pointed out that a systematic program should be prepared to transform existing regional administrative structures into development units to accelerate social and economic development at the regional level.

The President emphasized that the current administrative framework, which has been in operation for decades, has not provided successful solutions to public problems, and stated that the people expect a transformation of the entire system, going beyond minor amendments. He pointed out the importance of initiating a formal dialogue on this matter within the public administration sector, even though implementing this change at once is challenging. Additionally, officials were instructed to study the services that can be provided through technology by District and Divisional Secretariats as a step towards digitizing state institutions and submit a report within the next few months.

When reviewing the progress in the building construction sector, attention was focused on the construction of District Secretariat complexes in Ampara, Batticaloa, Kegalle, and Polonnaruwa, as well as Divisional Secretariats in Kalutara, Pitabeddara, Agunukolapelessa, Ratmalana, Kotte, and Kolonnawa. Officials from the Ministry of Finance revealed that there are over 2000 unused or underutilized buildings and constructions across the island. The President instructed that the necessity of all existing constructions be studied and priority be given only to essential projects.

Projects implemented through the Provincial Councils and Local Government sector with government and foreign aid were also discussed, and it was decided that relevant institutions should jointly prepare a plan for the Greater Colombo Wastewater Management Project, which has been operational since 2015, and for streamlining the drainage system within the Colombo Municipal Council area. Furthermore, the progress of the Loan Development Fund established in 1927, as well as rural small bridge development projects, was reviewed. Rs. 6793 million is to be allocated for rural bridges for the 2026-2029 period, and 29% progress has currently been achieved from the Rs. 1050 million allocated in 2026. Instructions were given to make these projects more efficient, taking into account the needs of the District Coordinating Committees.

Special attention was also paid to the activities of the Department of Pensions and the Department of Registrar General, and it was revealed that approximately 750,000 individuals are currently registered as pensioners. A wide range of issues faced by local government institutions, including the shortage of machinery, revenue generation, provision of public facilities, and training of new officials, were also discussed at length.

Hon. A. H. M. H. Abeyratne, Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Dr. Anil Jayanta Fernando, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning; and Hon. Ruwan Senarath, Deputy Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government, participated in this event. Additionally, several senior officials from the ministries, including Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Presidential Secretary; Prabath Chandrakirthi, Chief of Staff to the President; Roshan Gamage, Senior Additional Secretary to the President; Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development; and S. Aloka Bandara, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, also joined the discussion.