Language barriers still affect citizen access to services: Minister

Colombo, July 1 (Daily Mirror) - Public Administration, Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Chandana Abayaratne said that when citizens are unable to access government services in a language they understand, they may feel marginalised within their own country.

Speaking at the launch of 23 trilingual government forms under the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ programme, the Minister described the initiative as a milestone in measuring the country’s level of social development.

He said that even today many government forms remain complex and difficult to understand, including applications for senior citizen identity cards and elderly allowance schemes, particularly affecting older citizens.

Referring to historical and literary contexts, the Minister highlighted how language barriers have long affected citizens’ access to services, stressing that systemic changes dating back to the colonial era still need to be addressed.

He further said that while reforms cannot be implemented overnight, the introduction of trilingual forms represents a significant step towards broader transformation, promoting equality among all communities including Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim citizens.