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Government downsizing foreign missions
The government has planned to launch a re-structuring of the Foreign Office by switching to more economic diplomacy and pruning down excesses, such as closing down several missions in a bid to increase the assets of the country, Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva said yesterday.
He said that on top of the agenda will be the closing down of several Lankan missions in foreign capitals that have no clear rationale and are less viable to the interests of the country.
“These missions will be replaced with Non-Resident Ambassadors or Consular Generals to further cut costs and at the same time maintain a presence where the interests of the country need to be seen to,” he said.
He could not name the missions or the exact number that has been targeted for closure saying they were still working on the matter but at the same time hoped to copy the Singaporean model.
Singapore at present depends more on non-resident ambassadors in foreign countries rather than maintaining full-scale embassies which is less costly but at the same time serves the purpose, Dr. De Silva added.
At present an estimated eight billion rupees is needed annually to maintain 68 Lankan missions that include full scale embassies and high commissions along with consular generals, etc, Dr. De Silva said.
He added that under the economic diplomacy focus will be on prosperous trade, jobs, investment, businesses etc and also to facilitate visits for local entrepreneurs to visit other capitals and at the same time encourage foreign business people to visit the country.
He said that the focus of enhancing the country’s economy through diplomacy was never thought of in previous years although the foreign missions were over staffed and there were too many excesses.
“At one particular Sri Lankan embassy the Head of Mission maintained two consultants on the tax payers money to draft his letters because the man was not competent to carry out his work,” the Deputy Minister said.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera told Parliament on Thursday that the Government was also in the process of bringing back the Inspectors General and their task would be to visit the missions overseas and report on compliance and performance.
He added that this was aimed at ensuring that the diplomatic service is able to perform at the highest levels of excellence and to take punitive measures for wrong doing and sub-standard work where ever required.