President Appeals to Civil Servants to uphold the Constitution, and follow the Rules and Regulation

President Dr Mohamed Waheed has appealed to the civil service employees to uphold the Constitution and conduct themselves in accordance with the rules and regulations. The President made this appeal while speaking at the ceremony held at Thaajudheen School this evening, to meet with civil service employees.

Speaking at the Ceremony, the President said that his purpose of the meeting was to recognize and encourage the work of civil servants. In this regard, the President urged the staff to carry out the responsibilities entrusted in them diligently, and without discrimination. He also called upon the civil servants to prioritize national interest above personal political views.

President Waheed stressed on the importance of providing good customer care in delivering public service, to build public trust in civil servants. In this regard, he deliberated on the duties of civil servants in resolving public enquiries, explicating the procedures and guiding the public.

Speaking of the budgetary challenges faced by the Government, President Waheed urged the civil servants to cooperate with the governments’ initiative to minimize the state expenditure and limit excess spending. He further urged the staff to manage the public finances according to anti-corruption rules and regulations.

In his speech, the President advised the civil servants to make effective use of time and highlighted the importance of maintaining a good attendance record. Continuing in this regard, the President announced the government decision to extend the existing 45-minute break time for civil servants to a full 1-hour per day. He also underlined the government plan to start day care services at Velaanaage Building.

President Waheed emphasized on the importance of providing privileges and incentives to the staff of Civil Service. Noting that it is the basic right of the employees to get paid the equal pay for same jobs, the President underscored the need to harmonize public sector pay with those of the independent institutions. In this regard, the President appealed to the Minister of Finance and Treasury to harmonize the pay of Civil Servants.