Cabinet approves recruitment to fill over 5,000 public sector vacancies

Wednesday, 12 March 2025 05:40 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Cabinet of Ministers at their meeting on Monday approved new recruitments to fill nearly 6,000 vacancies in the public sector, allowing relevant Ministries and State institutions to proceed with the hiring process.

“A total of 5,882 vacancies were approved for recruitment. The move aims to address critical staffing shortages across multiple Government agencies,” Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said at the post-Cabinet meeting media briefing yesterday.

The highest number of vacancies were approved to the Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry, the Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government Ministry and Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation Ministry.

The breakdown of vacancies includes:

Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation Ministry – 909 positions
Women and Child Affairs Ministry – 109 positions
Environment Ministry – 144 positions
Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry – 2,500 positions
Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education Ministry – 22 positions
Finance and Economic Development – 185 positions
Fisheries, Aquatic, and Ocean Resources Ministry – 20 positions
Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils, and Local Government Ministry – 1,615 positions
Central Provincial Council – 72 positions
Uva Provincial Council – 303 positions

On 30 December 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers approved appointing an Officers’ Committee headed by the Secretary to the Prime Minister to take necessary actions on the quantities to be recruited in essentially related fields by identifying the requirements, priorities and timeframe by reviewing the recruitment process of the Government service.

The proposal to this effect submitted by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.