Government Increases Tax Revenue Without Raising Tax Rates, Says Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage

The government has increased tax revenue without increasing tax rates, while new recruitments to the public service are being carried out to ensure that the benefits of economic progress reach the people, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sunil Kumara Gamage said.

The Minister made these remarks at an event held to present appointment letters to newly recruited officers of the National Youth Services Council (NYSC).

He said the public service had deteriorated under previous governments due to unnecessary appointments made by ministers.

Appointment letters were presented to 194 newly recruited officers of the National Youth Services Council.

The appointments were made to several positions and service categories, including the Primary Service Grade, Management Assistant Grade 1-1, Management Assistant Grade 2-1, Management Assistant Grade 1-1 and Assistant Youth Services Officer, Management Assistant Grade 4, Junior Management Service, Management Service and Senior Management Service categories.

The 194 recruits were selected through a formal recruitment process from more than 53,000 applications.

Interviews were first conducted at district level, followed by an assessment of basic qualifications. The selected candidates then underwent two further interviews conducted by the National Youth Services Council before the final selections were made.

The vacancies had been filled for the first time in nine years.

The appointment letters were presented under the patronage of Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sunil Kumara Gamage at the Duncan White Auditorium of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs Dinidu Saman Hennayake, NYSC Chairman and Director General Attorney-at-Law Supun Wijerathne, and a number of NYSC officials attended the event.

Attorney-at-Law Supun Wijerathne, Chairman and Director General of the National Youth Services Council, said that officers had been recruited to the institution after nine years.

He said the newly appointed officers had an important responsibility to contribute towards changing the lives of young people.

Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs Dinidu Saman Hennayake said there had been a need to bring a new group of people into the Youth Services Council, adding that a new generation of young people had now joined the institution.

He told the new recruits that they had a major responsibility within the public service and would have to work closely with the younger generation.

He said there had previously been a “black mark” within the public service, claiming that various forms of dedication and contribution within the public service had been suppressed.

He expressed confidence that the new appointments would enable the officers to contribute to the future development of the country’s youth.

He also referred to a period when political letters were allegedly sent to secure appointments and opportunities to attend interviews.

Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage said appointment letters were being presented to 194 individuals selected from more than 53,000 applications.

He said the 194 recruits had been selected through the proper process based on qualifications.

The Minister alleged that under previous governments, appointments had been given to people preferred by those in power.

He also referred to appointments made during the tenure of former minister Rauff Hakeem, saying that, in some instances, people had been given appointments without even having adequate facilities or chairs at which to work.

According to Gamage, the government was now able to make appointments through a proper and structured system.

He said that if appointments were not made according to the correct procedure, it would create problems for the respective institutions.

The Minister identified problems associated with recruitment as one of the main reasons why state institutions had become inefficient.

He said the government was aware of the difficult situation of the country it had inherited, describing Sri Lanka at that time as a country that had fallen into severe economic difficulty, bankruptcy and corruption.

He said Sri Lanka had now reached a level of economic stability, with export earnings and foreign reserves increasing.

The Minister further claimed that the government had increased tax revenue without increasing tax rates.

He said the new appointments were being made because the country's economy was now in a better position.