(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that by October 2023, the expenses of the Prime Minister’s Office were reduced by 46% compared to 2022.
The expenses of the Prime Minister’s Office have been reduced by 21% in 2022 compared to 2021 and by 46% by October 2023 compared to 2022.
While in 2021, the Prime Minister’s Office has spent all 1661.7 million rupees allocated in the budget, in 2022 the Office has spent only Rs. 1310.4 million out of the Rs. 1432.8 million allocated.
By October 2023, the PM’s Office has spent only Rs. 705.7 million out of the Rs. 1012.0 million allocated in the 2023 budget.
Before Mr. Dinesh Gunawardena assumed the post of Prime Minister, the staff of the Prime Minister’s Office was over 500 during 2021-2022, but the number has now been reduced to 285.
Accordingly, in 2022, Rs. 340.3 million have been spent for the salaries and it has been reduced to Rs. by 39% to Rs. 208.2 million by 22 November 2023.
In addition, the cost of stationery has been reduced by 74% with the implementation of office work through electronic systems.
Due to the digitalization of the process of replying to the letters received by the Prime Minister’s Office, it has been possible to reduce the cost of postage and communication by 36%.
In 2022, there were 178 vehicles in the Prime Minister’s Office, but by the end of the year 2023, there is only a reserve. Accordingly, the Rs. 239.2 million spent for vehicle maintenance in 2022 has been reduced by 70% to Rs. 72.3 million in 2023. In 2023, the cost of fuel has been reduced by 26% to Rs. 79.3 million from Rs. 107 million in 2022.
The Prime Minister’s Office was also able to save 15 million rupees by handing over the annual maintenance of the generators maintained under contract with the Ceylon Electricity Board to agencies, and accordingly the cost of maintenance of machines and machinery was reduced by 31%.
It is also special to further expand the responsibilities of the Prime Minister’s Office to cover more urgent cases to get rid of the country’s economic and social crisis while maintaining an efficient financial management
Limiting expenses of the PM’s Office was not whatsoever an obstacle to successfully carry out the additional tasks assigned to the Prime Minister’s Office by the Cabinet of Ministers and maintain the services of the office without breakdown,.
The Prime Minister’s Office has been entrusted with the weekly implementation of the National Operations Center to resolve issues related to 262 large-scale projects, as well as the additional tasks of formulation of a national water resource policy, national digital policy, and a sustainable energy policy, and the formulation of education strategies and policy frameworks.
