Sri Lanka to seek Indian expertise to streamline public service

By Kelum Bandara

Sri Lanka will seek the expertise of India to improve efficiency and efficacy of the public service, and a team of key bureaucrats including Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake will travel there soon to study the system, Daily Mirror learns.

The team will study the Indian model at the  National Centre for Good Governance. It is an Indian government institution offering capacity-building training for civil servants. It has imparted training to officials from different countries, particularly those in the region, as part of India’s engagement with the neighbourhood.

A source familiar with the latest initiative told Daily Mirror, Sri Lanka would explore the possibility of deriving insights from India to streamline the public service in Sri Lanka by removing bureaucratic red tape and making it more people-friendly. “This is needed for us to make Sri Lanka an investment-friendly destination too,” the source said. Meanwhile, President Ranil Wickremesinghe met with Bharat Lal, the Director General of the Indian Institute of Good Governance, at the President’s Official Residence on April 1.  Mr. Bharat Lal visited Sri Lanka to discuss potential ways to enhance the country’s civil service and improve government institution performance by implementing effective monitoring measures.  

During the meeting, Mr. Lal shared India’s success in incorporating information technology into public service delivery, which resulted in significant progress and cost savings.