By: Isuru Parakrama
Colombo (LNW): The government is set to commence the provision of welfare benefits to about two million families from July 01, 2023 within specified time frames, announced State Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya.
The government’s welfare programme has recognised families in Sri Lanka under categories ‘extremely poor’, ‘poor’, ‘endangered’ and ‘transitional’, for the implementation of this distribution.
Accordingly, 400,000 families recognised under ‘extremely poor’ category will be provided a monthly subsidy of Rs. 15,000 for a period of three years.
About 800,000 families recognised under ‘poor’ category will receive a monthly subsidy of Rs. 8,500 for three years.
About 400,000 families under ‘endangered’ category will receive a monthly benefit of Rs. 5,000 till March 31, 2024.
Another 400,000 families under the ‘transitional’ category will receive a monthly subsidy of Rs. 2,500 till December 31, 2023.
Minister Siyambalapitiya added that Parliament has the power to increase period during which these benefits are provided to the said families and the number of families included in it.
