April 13, Colombo (LNW): State Minister of Finance, Shehan Semasinghe, has announced that an additional 182,140 families will now receive benefits under the Aswesuma welfare benefit programme, following the revision of appeals and objections. This decision brings the total number of beneficiaries to 1,854,000. The government has committed Rs. 58.5 billion to support these payments, including arrears, which will be settled by April 18.
Despite the expansion, around 200,000 qualified families have not yet opened the required bank accounts or updated their personal details, delaying their access to the benefits. The State Minister expressed concern over the lack of response from these families, despite extensive efforts by regional secretariats and media campaigns to reach them.
Looking ahead, the government plans to commence a new survey for the Aswesuma programme in May, aiming to encompass 2.4 million families. A significant budget allocation of Rs. 205 billion has been set aside for this initiative in the current fiscal year, underscoring the government’s commitment to expanding social welfare amidst ongoing economic challenges.
