Education Ministry Advances Effective Date of Principals' Special Allowance to January 1
The Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education has announced that the revised special allowance for officers in the Sri Lanka Principals’ Service will now take effect retroactively from January 1, 2026. The decision comes following official concurrence from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. Under previous provisions of Circular No. 16/2017 (I), the revised allowance was originally scheduled for payment beginning April 1, 2026.
🇱🇰 සිංහල සාරාංශය
ශ්රී ලංකා විදුහල්පති සේවයේ නිලධාරීන් සඳහා වන සංශෝධිත විශේෂ දීමනාව 2026 ජනවාරි 01 වන දින සිට පූර්වගාමීව බලපැවැත්වෙන පරිදි ලබා දීමට අධ්යාපන, උසස් අධ්යාපන සහ වෘත්තීය අධ්යාපන අමාත්යාංශය තීරණය කර ඇත. අංක 16/2017 (II) දරන නව චක්රලේඛයට අනුව, අදාළ හිඟ දීමනා ගෙවීම් 2026 දෙසැම්බර් 31 දිනට පෙර අවසන් කළ යුතුය.
🇱🇰 தமிழ் சுருக்கம்
இலங்கை அதிபர் சேவையின் உத்தியோகத்தர்களுக்கான திருத்தப்பட்ட விசேட கொடுப்பனவு 2026 ஜனவரி 01 ஆம் திகதி முதல் முன்நோக்கி அமலுக்கு வரும் வகையில் வழங்கப்படும் என கல்வி, உயர்கல்வி மற்றும் தொழிற்கல்வி அமைச்சு அறிவித்துள்ளது. 16/2017 (II) இலக்க புதிய சுற்றறிக்கையின்படி, உரிய நிலுவைக் கொடுப்பனவுகள் 2026 டிசம்பர் 31 ஆம் திகதிக்கு முன்னர் செலுத்தி முடிக்கப்பட வேண்டும்.
📌 Key Overview & Directive Summary
📋 Directives Issued to Educational Authorities
In official Circular No. 16/2017 (II) issued by Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa, specific directives were addressed to all Provincial Secretaries of Education, Provincial Directors of Education, and Zonal Directors of Education:
- Retroactive Payment Effective Date: The revised special allowance allocated under the 2026 Budget Proposals will be calculated with effect from January 1, 2026, replacing the previously scheduled April 1, 2026 start date.
- Disbursement of Arrears: Relevant educational administrative authorities must complete the disbursement of all outstanding allowance arrears due to eligible principals on or before December 31, 2026.
- Existing Terms Unchanged: All other clauses, stipulations, and conditions specified in Ministry Circular No. 16/2017 (I) dated April 27, 2026, remain unchanged and fully operational.
🏛️ Audit and Compliance Copies
For proper financial auditing, budget compliance, and administrative oversight, official copies of this directive have been forwarded to:
- The Auditor General
- The Deputy Secretary to the Treasury
- The Director General of Establishments
- The Chief Financial Officer of the Ministry
📄 Official Circular PDF Downloads
📲 Join the GovInfo.lk WhatsApp Channel
Get the latest government jobs, gazettes, examinations, results, circulars, courses and other important updates directly on WhatsApp.
