The Ministries of Digital Economy and Public Administration have jointly issued interim guidelines directing heads of state institutions to make optimal use of information technology in delivering public services remotely, in a move aimed at sustaining government operations through the ongoing fuel and energy crisis.
The guidelines follow a Cabinet Committee directive chaired by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, which instructed the Digital Economy Ministry to explore remote-work options in coordination with Public Administration and the Provincial Councils.
A separate circular issued to all state institutions on Sunday mandates the adoption of IT tools and paperless operations across the public sector, NewsFirst reported. The framework is intended to ensure systematic continuity of public services amid stresses on Sri Lanka’s fuel supply and energy management caused by Middle East unrest since February 28.
The Digital Economy Ministry has published the guidelines in Sinhala, Tamil and English at mode.gov.lk/docs/guide. They cover remote service-delivery models, paperless workflows, and inter-agency coordination expected of department heads as the government scales back office attendance to conserve fuel ahead of further pressure on imports.
The directive is the most concrete administrative response yet to the energy-conservation push that has already produced a Cabinet-recommended work-from-home day on April 16-17 and the QR fuel concession suspension before Avurudu.
