A total of 378 acting sub-postmasters were granted permanent appointments with pension benefits during a ceremony held on Saturday at the Colombo District Secretariat Auditorium, under the patronage of Health and Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayathissa.
The appointments were made following Cabinet approval to confirm the selected candidates through a formal interview process. An additional 196 individuals who had been assigned duties before the new selection process are also under consideration for permanent appointments, pending further Cabinet decisions.
Addressing the newly appointed officials, Minister Jayathissa said the sub-postmaster service, initiated in 1921 with six offices, has expanded to 3,410 branches islandwide. He noted that the role was recognized as pensionable from November 12, 1994, and that since 1978, sub-postmasters have contributed to the Public Service Provident Fund.
The minister said that although sub-postmasters previously received a monthly allowance of Rs. 1,500 for office premises, this was increased to Rs. 7,500 as of April 1, 2025, based on income generation. He also acknowledged past issues in the recruitment process and said necessary reforms had been implemented.
Jayathissa stressed the need for a systematic approach to recruitment and appointments across the public sector and called on all postal unions to support efforts to modernize the postal service. He urged them to avoid disrupting services for competitive or political reasons.
Postmaster General Ruwan Sathkumara said that previous governments had neglected staffing issues in the postal service and credited the current administration for taking steps to address them. He said the department requires an additional 8,000 employees to meet current needs. (Newswire)