President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has emphasized the vitality of taking measures to provide essential services effectively with the participation of limited number of personnel once the curfew is lifted, says the President’s Media Division (PMD).

President also instructed the officials to plan both public and private sector services in a people-friendly manner.

The PMD says that the President issued these directives at a meeting with the Secretaries to Ministries and the Heads of several entities tasked with providing essential services at the Presidential Secretariat today (21).

The importance of immediately initiating development activities such as laying pipelines and road construction which can be carried out under supervision has also been highlighted by the President. Advising the officials on the manner employees should be called for work, the President said that the Head of each institute should resume work in accordance with recommended guidelines. 

President also advised the officials to continue to provide services in areas including the Western Province where the curfew is in force.      

The President said that taking steps to transport crops from rural areas to urban areas by using the buses belong to the SLTB would be a great relief to the farmers.

Formulating a plan to distribute medicines issued by the hospitals and pharmacies during the curfew time via post could ease the burden on patients. 

Although the government has implemented a systematic programme to eradicate the coronavirus, citizens not adhering to the guidelines of the government properly is a major obstacle to prevent the spread of the virus, the PMD pointed out. The President also emphasized that the virus control measures should be intact while the curfew is being relaxed and services must continue in order to restore normal life.

Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundera, Secretaries to the Ministries and several other Chairmen were present at the discussion.