State sector appointments and other issues
We have always seen after a change of government new faces being appointed to the corporations and other government-controlled agencies. The boards appointed must perform the tasks they are given and run the establishments efficiently. We don’t see these institutions being run profitably.
There are many reasons. The Minister or the big shots who were behind the appointments provide lists of names to the Boards to give them employment. These political appointments must stop. All appointments or filling of vacancies must be after advertisement and where necessary after a written test. The Chairman and Board Members are more interested in their overseas jaunts. If these appointees are not showing profits, they must be removed. When appointing people to run these Institutions it must be checked if the appointees have qualifications in keeping with the mandate/s of the institution. They must be required to provide Quarterly reports showing the profits or loss. If it is a loss what steps are intended to be taken to arrest the losses
It is a good idea to fill these Boards from the senior public servants or recently retired senior public servants who had experience in the respective fields. This will prevent politicians appointing their henchmen to the Boards. A classic example was the appointment of Nishantha Wickremasinge to head Srilankan. He was only a planter but closely connected to the Head of State at the time. A sure misfit and his conduct as the head of national carrier is public knowledge now.
Recently, President Ranil Wickremesinghe was heard saying that billions of rupees were wasted at the CPC, the CEB and Srilankan. Why not hold the members of the boards concerned accountable for those losses? Have they ever made proposals/reports to the respective Ministers on how these institutions can be made profit making or what must be done to curb these losses? The absence of such communications from the boards to the Ministers is unacceptable. The Ministers who do not check what is going on in those institutions are also at fault. Now, the public is made to bear these losses through tax and tariff increases. The CPC and the CEB are overstaffed and that must be investigated.
It was announced recently that the retirement age must be 60 for all public servants. Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapaksa was heard saying that retirees must not be appointed to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC). This can be viewed in two ways. No public servant who has retired can be appointed to the CIABOC. It can also be that any person who never held a public office qualifies irrespective of age. Mr Rajapaksa must explain to the people what he has meant.
Some medical specialists have taken the retirement age issue to the Supreme Court, requesting that they must be permitted to work until they reach 63. This is a reasonable request considering the scarcity of consultant doctors in the country. I have learnt from the newspapers that many medical doctors have left the country after the retirement age of 60 was announced. It is the poor who will be affected by the deterioration of the public health sector.
The retirement age must apply to politicians as well. Some of them are over 80. Our Constitution does not consider politicians “Public Officers”. But they are paid salaries for what they call ‘serving the public’ and are entitled to pension after five years in office whereas public officers must work for at least 20 years to qualify for a pension. This amounts to discrimination.
Politicians must be denied pension rights and made to retire when they turn 65.
Hemal Perera
