COLOMBO : The Government’s reported plan to lease vacant ministerial and presidential bungalows to NGOs, Embassies, or international organisations may generate some income, but it risks missing a far greater opportunity. These residences, maintained for decades at the taxpayer’s expense, should now be repurposed for the public good rather than handed over to outside entities.
Colombo faces an acute shortage of affordable housing, overcrowded hospitals, limited school capacity, and inadequate community facilities. Redeveloping these properties into housing units, health centres, schools, libraries, or recreational hubs would directly address these pressing needs. Such initiatives would not only relieve pressure on existing infrastructure but also ensure that prime state assets contribute to the welfare of ordinary citizens.
It is time to rethink the purpose of these once-privileged residences. Leasing them out for diplomatic or NGO use benefits a few; transforming them into public assets benefits the many. I urge President A.K. Dissanayake and his Cabinet to seize this opportunity to set a precedent — that national resources must serve national needs first.
Mohamed Zahran,
Colombo
