President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says simply reinforcing institutional frameworks is insufficient for effective disaster management and stresses the need to establish mechanisms to deliver practical solutions at the grassroots level.
President Dissanayake highlighted the importance of empowering local government institutions to prevent disasters in vulnerable areas and develop innovative solutions.
The President noted that the country’s disaster management laws were formulated after considerable study and that it is the responsibility of officials to implement them effectively.
He assured his unwavering support for any official who upholds their duties with integrity and called on Government officials to propose enhancements to the legal framework if needed.
Pointing out that disaster management imposes a significant financial burden on the government, President Dissanayake, however, said that by enforcing laws effectively, these costs can be reduced significantly.
The President made the remarks while attending the event to mark the assumption of duties by the Deputy Defence Minister, Aruna Jayasekara today (Nov 25).
The event was attended by key dignitaries, including Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retired), Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security Ravi Seneviratne, Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva, Army Commander Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, and Air Force Commander Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, among others. (Newswire)
