The Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government has announced a significant revision to the Official Language Policy for public officers, following a decision made by the Cabinet of Ministers on April 21, 2025.
According to Public Administration Circular 18/2020 (II), public and provincial public service officers who are required to acquire competency in the second official language—Sinhala or Tamil—can now fulfill this requirement by passing the language as a second language at the G.C.E. Ordinary Level examination along with an oral test conducted by the Department of Official Languages. This revision offers an alternative to attending the previously mandated language course mentioned in earlier circulars.
In a move widely welcomed by public sector employees, the government has also extended the concessionary period for fulfilling this requirement. Originally set to expire on October 16, 2024, the deadline has now been extended to October 16, 2026.
A new clause (2.5) has been added to the original Public Administration Circular 18/2020 to reflect this change, emphasizing flexibility and a broader recognition of qualifications already held by officers.
| Circular – English | Click Here |
| Circular – Sinhala | Click Here |
| Circular – Tamil | Click Here |
