– Sri Lanka must take responsibility for driving the systemic change the people aspired to several years ago, Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Professor Chandana Abeyratne said.“We are living in a transformative era where history is being rebuilt. We ourselves must bring about this systemic change,” he said.

The Minister made these remarks at the launch of the National Public Service Dialogue Forum (NPSDF) in Colombo yesterday (21), an initiative aimed at preventing and resolving disputes within the public service through dialogue and cooperation.Organised by the Ministry of Public Administration in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, the forum seeks to provide a platform for addressing workplace grievances, including disputes involving trade unions.

Abeyratne highlighted that dialogue and cooperation were essential to resolving disputes and strengthening the public service. He expressed confidence that collective efforts by public officers and other stakeholders could help rewrite the country’s history and build a better future.Secretary to the President Nandika Sanath Kumanayake delivered a special address on “National Leadership for a Responsive, Effective, and People-Centric Public Service”.Ministry Secretary S. Alokabandara, ILO Director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Joni Simpson, and UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka Marc-André Franche also addressed the event, which was attended by government officials and representatives of international organizations.