The Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government has officially released Public Administration Circular 11/2026, outlining the process for granting permanent appointments to thousands of employees currently serving on a temporary, casual, substitute, contract, or relief basis.
Following a Cabinet decision made on April 27, 2026, the move aims to regularize the employment status of staff across various public sector institutions, including State Corporations and Statutory Boards, in line with the 2026 Budget Proposals.
Key Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for permanency under this new directive, employees must meet the following requirements as of September 1, 2019:
- Service Duration: Completion of at least 180 working days of continuous and satisfactory service as of 01.09.2019.
- Qualifications: Possession of the prescribed qualifications for their specific post as defined in previous circulars (29/2019 and 25/2014).
- Employment Continuity: Must still be actively engaged in the same post and institution where they originally qualified.
Terms of Appointment
While the permanent appointments are effective retroactively from September 1, 2019, the circular clarifies several administrative conditions:
- Cadre Vacancies: Appointments will be granted against existing vacancies in the approved permanent cadre. If no vacancy exists, the post will be created as “personal-to-holder” and abolished once the employee eventually leaves the service.
- Probation and Confirmation: The period between September 2019 and the date of the new appointment letter will be considered the probation period. Employees are expected to be confirmed in service within one year of this circular’s issuance.
- Salaries: Salary scales will be adjusted to reflect permanent status from the effective date; however, no arrears (back-pay) will be provided for the past period.
Regularizing Past Discrepancies
The circular also addresses “informal” appointments made previously. Employees who were granted permanent status but exceeded the age of 45 at the time of their initial recruitment will have their status converted to the Public Service Provident Fund (PSPF) scheme rather than a standard pension.
Strict Future Guidelines
The Ministry has issued a stern warning to all Appointing Authorities: henceforth, no recruitment should be made on a temporary or casual basis if the candidate does not meet the prescribed qualifications or if the recruitment falls outside the approved staff cadre. Any officer who violates these recruitment protocols will be held personally responsible.
Heads of Institutions are required to submit the details of all eligible employees to the Director General of Management Services immediately using the prescribed formats.
