President provides more relief for public hit by COVID-19 pandemic

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has introduced more financial and material relief for the Sri Lankan public who are affected by the novel coronavirus outbreak.

President has directed the Presidential Task Force on Essential Services to pay low income and vulnerable families, individuals an allowance of Rs 5000 as a lump sum in order to relieve them of the difficulties faced by them.

Secretary to the President Dr. P. B. Jayasundara today (30) issued a circular explaining the relief measures declared by the President and manner of implementation.

It has been referred to the Secretaries of the Ministries of Finance, Economic and Policy Development and Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government, and all District and Divisional Secretaries.

These concessions will continue until the conclusion priority program for the eradication of the COVID-19 from Sri Lanka.

The following are the declared concessions and the eligible groups:

- Measures have been taken to pay Rs.5,000 each to all 416,764 senior citizen allowance recipients and to the recently registered 142,345 senior citizens.

- An allowance of Rs. 5,000 will be provided to 84,071 disabled persons and 35,229 newly registered disabled persons.

- A total of 160,675 farmers who are registered under the Farmers’ Insurance Scheme will also receive an allowance of Rs.5000 each.

- An allowance of Rs. 5,000 will be paid to 25,320 kidney patients and 13,850 newly registered patients.

- Thriposha and other nutritional supplements will be delivered directly to the residences of expectant mothers and families with malnourished children.

- Measures have been taken to provide Rs.5,000 each to all 1,798,655 Samurdhi recipients and to the recently registered 600,339 Samurdhi recipients by the Samurdhi Bank/Samurdhi Authority.

- Payment of the pensions to 645,179 public officers.

- Steps will be taken to pay the April salary for 1,500,000 Public Sector employees and loan payment deductions from salaries to be suspended until further notice.

- Relief on lease installments for 1,500,000 self-employed persons, including owners of three-wheelers, trucks, school buses and vans and self-employed motorists.

- Reliefs will be provided for the private businesses that are not in a position to pay employees’ wages due to the prevailing economic hardships.