According to the new act, public officers will have to bear five responsibilities relating to establishing trust in their work.

It will also pave the way for the imprisonment of officers responsible for any act of corruption or irregularity at a government department.

Prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has given the instructions in this regard to finance minister Ravi Karunanayake pursuant to some officers having resigned from their positions as directors of state enterprises representing the treasury.

The PM instructed that none of the resigned officers be recruited for service again.

During the periods these officers held office, incidents of massive corruption, irregularities and abuse of public money had taken place at the CPC, SriLankan Airlines, the Ports Authority and other state enterprises, he noted.

The vacancies will be filled with young and talented officers through the proposed act, said the premier.