Financial Times

Secretaries missing at two top

Two of the country's most important ministries have been without Secretaries for a long time with the delay in the appointments being due to a dispute over candidates between the ministers and the government, informed sources said.

The post of Secretary to the Public Administration Ministry has been vacant for the past six months and the post at the Agriculture Ministry for the past two months.

The sources said it was surprising that these two important Ministries are functioning without Chief Accounting Officers, one of the key functions of the Permanent Secretaries.

When contacted by The Sunday Times FT, Vajira Abeywardana Minister of Public Administration, Management and Reforms, said that measures are now underway to appoint a Secretary to the Ministry in the coming weeks.

He said the appointment was delayed due to some problems in the seniority list.

He also added that so far "no work has been delayed" in the absence of a Secretary to the Ministry.

Presently, an acting secretary heads the Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Samurdhi. So far no permanent secretary has been appointed.

S.B. Dissanayake, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Samurdhi could not be contacted for comment.

(T M)