Sri Lankan President praises the public sector and grants relief in 2011 budget

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa while praising the country's public sector employees said that the government would not fail to grant them relief although it costs billions of rupees to the state coffers.
Presenting the 1.08 trillion-rupee Budget for 2011 in the parliament, the President said the services rendered by the public sector during the 2004 tsunami and the war could not be forgotten.


Ending months of speculation about the salary increments granted to state sector employees, the President in today's budget speech proposed a 5% monthly allowance increase as a non pensionable allowance to all public servants and security personnel.
The President also said that a Rs.600 increase in the cost of living allowance from January would also be granted to all public servants, security personnel in staff category.
According to the President, a Rs. 100 monthly increase in state sector salaries and pensions cost the government Rs. 1.9 billion.