Sri Lanka govt expands overstaffed public service

May 12, 2011 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's government has created a new service within an already bloated public service to give jobs to 15,000 unemployed graduates and another 15,000 youth, a statement said. The Cabinet of ministers has approved a proposal to establish a 'Sri Lanka Development Officers’ Service' and a 'Sri Lanka Development Assistants' Service' and to recruit 30,000 people to the public service under these two services, it said.

"On a promise given by President Mahinda Rajapaksa it has been decided to establish these two services in the public service with the view to provide assistance in the implementation of the development activities of the government."

The statement said 15,000 graduates will be recruited to Sri Lanka Development Officers Service and 15,000 youths who have passed the General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level examination and "sat for the GCE (A/L)" will be recruited to SL Development Assistants Service.

Both types of recruitment will be from August 01, 2011.

Sri Lanka's public service is hugely overstaffed and inefficient, its ranks bloated by recruitment by successive governments made by both the two main political parties who have ruled the i