Public service in Sri Lanka is not an eight-hour job, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Monday, as he urged public servants to work overtime to make the cash-strapped island a prosperous nation this year.
Sri Lanka was hit by an unprecedented financial crisis last year due to a severe paucity of foreign exchange reserves that also sparked political turmoil in the island nation which led to the ouster of the all-powerful Rajapaksa family.
"Each person's duties (public servants) cannot be limited to 8 hours a day and 5 days a week. Let's all work with commitment. By the end of 2023, I hope to take this country forward with the support of all of you and restore normalcy," news portal newsfirst.Lk reported, quoting Wickremesinghe as saying during an event held at the President's Office here on Monday. The President said no public servant can shirk responsibility as 2023 was a crucial year for the country's economy.
Incidentally, Sri Lanka turns 75 as an independent nation later this year. National Day, also known as Independence Day, is celebrated on February 4 to commemorate the country's political independence from British rule in 1948.