The Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils, and Local Government of Sri Lanka has issued a directive to District Secretaries, outlining updated guidelines for approving domestic and foreign unpaid leave for public officials while safeguarding their pension entitlements.
This directive aims to address irregularities in the leave approval process and ensure adherence to the Public Administration Circular dated June 22, 2022.
Under the new guidelines, District Secretaries must follow a detailed procedure when processing unpaid leave applications. The Ministry highlighted cases where officials had misused leave provisions, such as taking domestic leave for extended periods—up to five years—and later applying for foreign leave without properly canceling the initial leave arrangements.
To curb such practices, the Ministry now requires a thorough review of the applicant’s leave history. Applications for foreign leave must include documentation of all previous domestic and foreign leave, verified and recorded in the cover letters submitted by the District Secretaries.
The Ministry’s measures are designed to promote accountability and streamline the leave approval process while preventing misuse of public administration leave policies.
