Treat your duty as very special and discharge it for benefit of country

Secretary to the President tells President's Office staff

"You may use your official capacity at the President's Office as a resplendent ornament but never as a weapon. We all must be fully dedicated to work in terms of "Mahinda Chinthanaya".

The more you are dedicated more are the results, we all would enjoy. Treat your duty as a very special one and determine to discharge it for the benefit all and the country at large," Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga addressing a gathering of the President's Office Staff on January 1, 2007.

The following oath was taken by all officers present at the occasion, states a Presidential Secretariat press release.

"Hereby I sincerely and solemnly declare and agree that I will contribute my maximum for the benefit of my country and to make the lives of the rest of all my brothers and sisters happy and prosperous. I am a servant of the public paid by the public and it is my bounden duty to render my service to the public.

Weeratunga also said: "In my capacity as the head of the office-staff of the highest institute of administration in this country, I enjoy working with you. Today as we complete just one year and 1 1/2 months of service since the assumption of duties by His Excellency the President. During this short period we have been able to render the highest possible service to the people of this country.

Let me mention that the reciprocation of the public is quite welcoming, so we must make it a point to maintain a good standard of service in the current year as well. Presenting the budget for the year 2007 H.E. the President said that he would make the Presidential Office Staff a Special Task Force. This is a very important remark."

"The efforts taken to form a state service of the highest capability should originate from this office, as envisaged in "Mahinda Chinthanaya". Up to date we were more interested in what we get from the country and not what we give to the country. This attitude should be changed."

"It is high time to assess whether the state service had done enough to the public, during the last 58 years since independence. If the duties are discharged in accordance with the oath taken it should have been sufficient".

"I earnestly request you that the pivotal duty of all of us is to work hard to make the President's office the best among the rest of the offices in this country. We are in a way, a privileged lot. So let me repeat that you should not misuse your position but see that it be a benign influence.

In discharging our duties we must reap the benefit of technology in order to ensure a better service to the country and fulfil the aspirations of the President," Mr. Weeratunga concluded.

Following are the salient points embodied in the oath taken today by all officers of the President's Office.

1. I shall complete today's work today itself and never postpone for tomorrow.

2. I shall be courteous towards the public and see to their needs and convenience.

3. I shall follow the rules and regulations stipulated by the government.

4. I shall be result oriented rather than adhering to rules and regulations.

5. I shall abstain from any sort of misuse of the resources and property of the government and never use it for my own benefit. I assert that I will protect and use with thrift, the property of the government.

6. I shall always do the right and be honest to myself.

7. I behave in such a manner so that the dignity of the state service is protected and never discredited.

8. I shall undertake to work in a team spirit with the rest of the officers.