Final decision on work from home for govt. employees today
2026-03-16 - 02:48
A special meeting among ministry secretaries is scheduled to be held at 3.00 p.m. today (March 16) at the Presidential Secretariat. The discussion will focus on the possibility of implementing remote working arrangements for government officials, while also examining the continuation of academic activities in schools and universities. Meanwhile, a meeting was held yesterday (March 15) at the Presidential Secretariat between the President, ministry secretaries, and heads of institutions to review challenges in maintaining essential public services amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. During the meeting, special attention was given to key sectors including health, education, industry, agriculture, and fisheries. Ministry secretaries briefed the President on the current fuel requirements and operational needs of their respective sectors. The President instructed officials to explore the feasibility of maintaining essential fuel reserves at the regional level, particularly for critical sectors such as healthcare. Officials were also directed to examine work-from-home arrangements as a fuel conservation measure and submit reports on its feasibility. Discussions also focused on implementing a special programme to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of hospitals, including maintaining food supplies and providing fuel for generators to guarantee a continuous electricity supply. In addition, attention was drawn to establishing a special mechanism to ensure adequate fuel stocks for passenger and goods transportation, enabling transport services to operate without disruption. The President further emphasized the importance of strengthening the digital QR code fuel system already in operation, instructing officials to address existing shortcomings and update the system where necessary. Authorities were also advised to continuously monitor developments and adopt a comprehensive approach, rather than making isolated decisions for individual sectors, when responding to the evolving situation. The discussion was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath; Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, Chathuranga Abeysinghe; Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake; Presidential Advisor on Digital Economy Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya; Chief of Presidential Staff Prabath Chandrakeerthi; Secretary to the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Thilaka Jayasundara; Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Nalaka Kaluwewa; Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Aloka Bandara; Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Mass Media Anil Jasinghe; Secretary to the Ministry of Digital Economy Varuna Dhanapala; and Secretary to the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Kolitha Kamal, along with several heads of institutions. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation stated that a programme will be implemented in consultation with district secretaries to ensure adequate fuel supplies for agricultural machinery, allowing farming activities to continue without disruption.