By Chandeepa Wettasinghe
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe presented over 1,200 letters of appointment to openings at the three state banks and Sri Lanka Customs to young graduates, under his promise to create one million jobs within five years.

“These are the best jobs in the public sector. You are the luckiest group of people seeking jobs in Sri Lanka,” Wickremesinghe told the new state sector employees at the presentation ceremony held at Temple Trees yesterday.

He said that jobs can only be created if the economy is managed properly and that the one million job programme is progressing smoothly.

“Whether it is in the public sector, private sector or self-employment, or in manufacturing or services, we will create jobs with good income... This will create confidence among our younger generations about the future of our country,” Wickremesinghe said.

The premier, during the past election campaign however had criticised the already bloated public sector. Deputy Ministers Dr. Harsha de Silva and Eran Wickramaratne too had shared the sentiments since the new regime came into being.

Wickremesinghe noted that Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake had made the biggest contribution towards the success of the programme.

“Ravi Karunanayake, as a minister of this government, has done a great service towards the economic development and job creation. Not only that, he has also helped to reduce corruption and increase the productivity of the public sector,” the premier added.

Bank of Ceylon Chairman Ronald Perera too praised Karunanayake.

“Only because of him we have a good economic climate. He has reduced the living costs, increased the wages and filled the gaps in the state sector. Other ministers will only give jobs to people from their electorate but he has given jobs not only to those from his electorate but from electorates across the country,” he said. Karunanayake said that these human resources were discovered due to new levels of transparency in Parliament.

He requested the new employees under his ministry to increase the productivity of the institutions, the failure of which would lead to the closure of the state-owned enterprises.

“People ask for eight to five jobs in the public sector to just work three hours a day and to get pensions but the new generation wants to do good for the country. Thousands across the country are now thinking that you are getting jobs that they should be getting. So work hard and show them,” he said.
He further added that revenues of state-owned enterprises should be increased by 25-30 percent with the injection of this young labour force.

“For your jobs to be good, you need to make your corporations competitive,” Wickremesinghe too said.