Hon. Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government supervises the Department of Pensions
Dr. A.H.M.H. Abayaratne, Hon. Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, supervised the Department of Pensions on 27.12.2024.
He fully supervised the various branches within the Department of Pensions, including Centralized, Decentralized, Widows and Orphans, Information Technology, Policy, Armed Services, Foreign Pensions, Contributions, Internal Audit, Accounts, Control, 1970 Short Call Service, and Archives. These branches implement the mechanisms developed by the Department to activate the pensions of officers from the Civil and Armed Services who retire from public service and to ensure the payment of benefits to them and their heirs.
By integrating the Pension Data Management System (PMS), several stages of the pension payment process have already been made available to pensioners online. The Minister expressed his gratitude to the Head of the Department, the Director General of Pensions, Mr. A. Jagath D. Dias, for leading the process, and to the officers working in the Department's head office and in Divisional Secretariats across the island for their contributions.
The Minister also approved the program to quickly launch several online projects planned by the Information Technology Division of the Department of Pensions, aimed at further streamlining and simplifying services for pensioners, including the payment of over 40,000 civil and widows' and orphans' pensions annually.
The Minister stated that the new government will focus on sustainably maintaining the pension system, which is the government's primary social security system, and on revising long-standing pension policies while formulating new ones to ensure its continued sustainability.
The Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, Dr. A.H.M.H. Abayaratne, the Secretary to the Ministry, Mr. Aloka Bandara, the Director General of Pensions, Mr. A. Jagath D. Dias, the Additional Director General of Pensions, Ms. Sujani Pettawadu, and other officials participated in this event.
Mr. Chaminda Hettiarachchi officially assumed duties as the new Director General of Pensions
Mr. Chaminda Hettiarachchi assumed duties as the new Director General of the Department of Pensions on January 1, 2025.
A Special Grade Officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, Mr. Chaminda Hettiarachchi joined the service in 2000. Prior to his appointment as the Director General of Pensions, he served as the Trincomalee District Secretary.
Cabinet approval was granted to appoint Mr. Chaminda Hettiarachchi to the vacant position following the retirement of the Director General of Pensions, Mr. A. Jagath D. Dias, on September 16, 2024, and the conclusion of his extended term on December 31, 2024.
With nearly 25 years of experience in development and administration, his expertise will greatly support the ongoing technological and innovative initiatives of the Department of Pensions, aimed at further enhancing the pension payment process for the senior pensioner community, which now exceeds 725,000.
We would like to extend our best wishes to the new Director General of Pensions in his future duties, as well as to all officers working in the Department of Pensions, those attached to the Department and serving in Divisional Secretariats across the island, and the Sri Lankan pensioner community.
Marking the commencement of duties of the Pensions Department for the year 2025 in conjunction with the Clean Sri Lanka program
The Department of Pensions commenced its duties for the new year, 2025, today (January 1, 2025), in line with the 'Clean Sri Lanka' program, jointly implemented by the Presidential Task Force and the Presidential Secretariat.
The departmental officers commenced their duties for the new year by taking the oath of public service, hoisting the national flag and the pension flag, and remembering those who sacrificed their lives for the country. The day began with religious rituals, including a Pirith chanting ceremony.
Afterward, the Additional Director General of Pensions, Mrs. Sujani Pettawadu, addressed the officers of the Department of Pensions. She expressed her gratitude to the staff at the Department's Head Office and Divisional Secretariats across the island for their tireless efforts in 2024, overcoming various challenges to ensure timely pension payments to retirees and their heirs. She also extended her best wishes for the New Year.
During 2024, the Department of Pensions activated 43,472 new pension benefits, including those for civil servants, armed forces personnel, and widows and orphans. She also urged all officers to approach the pension activation process for retirees scheduled to retire from public service in 2025, as well as every retirement file, with compassion.
The 'Clean Sri Lanka' citizenship pledge was also administered in conjunction with the live broadcast of the 'Clean Sri Lanka' national program held at the Presidential Secretariat.