Essential services must be provided with few officials: President

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa  

• President focuses on efficient essential services when curfew relaxed 
• Says both public and private services should be people-friendly 
• Keen to resume infrastructure projects 
• Supports using SLTB buses to transport produce to cities  

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday emphasised the importance of taking measures to provide essential services effectively with the participation of a limited number of personnel once the curfew is lifted, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said yesterday. 

The President had also instructed officials to plan both public and private sector services in a people-friendly manner.

President Rajapaksa issued these directives at a meeting with the Secretaries to Ministries and heads of several entities tasked with providing essential services, held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday.

The importance of immediately initiating development activities such as laying pipelines and road construction, which can be carried out under supervision, was also highlighted by the President. 

Advising the officials on the manner employees should be called for work, the President said that the head of each institute should resume work in accordance with the recommended guidelines.

President Rajapaksa also advised the officials to continue to provide services in areas where the curfew is in force, including the Western Province.

The President said that taking steps to transport crops from rural areas to urban areas using buses belonging to the SLTB would be a great relief to the farmers.

Formulating a plan to distribute medicines issued by hospitals and pharmacies during the curfew time via post could ease the burden on patients.

Even though the Government has implemented a systematic program to eradicate the novel coronavirus COVID-19, citizens’ non-adherence to the Government guidelines is a major obstacle to the prevention of the spread of the virus. The President also emphasised that the virus control measures should be intact while the curfew is being relaxed, and services must continue in order to restore normal life.

Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundara, Secretaries to the Ministries and several other chairmen were present at the discussion.