Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa has tabled a Cabinet communique containing 08 proposals slashing expenditure at ministries and state-run institutions, in response to the plummeting government revenue amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
These proposals include;
- Temporary suspension of programs, purchases, constructions, building renovations and upgrades which have not yet commenced, despite grant allocations being approved.
- Postponement of recruitments to posts for which appointments have not yet been made, despite preliminary work being concluded in recruiting employees and assuring employee attendance.
- Beneficiary documents under welfare programs be reviewed and restricted to low income earners who are essentially entitled to benefits.
- Stop the provision of any allowances, welfare programs, development assistance or subsidies that have not been approved by the Cabinet.
- Restriction of the non-salary allowances paid under the approvals of the Secretaries of the Ministries, Heads of Departments and Replenishment of Bills to the officers who are actually working instead of providing them to all the officers in general.
- Suspension of the distribution of various materials, goods and equipment and financial grants made using the provisions allocated under the Capital Development Program.
- Immediate suspension of expenditure on all types of programs which are not directly related to the special priorities of the Ministries.
- Provision of allowances such as fuel allowance based on the attendance of the officers at the time of reporting for duty when they are summoned to work.
A circular will also be issued in this regard within the next week.
