Under the directives of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the government has decided to continue with the existing payments of allowances for elderly citizens, disabled persons and kidney patients until a new criterion is introduced.
In a Twitter thread, State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe noted that the execution of Aswesuma would not, however, undergo any changes.
According to the lawmaker, the Welfare Benefits Board has received a total of 760,000 appeals and 10,000 objections.
These appeals and objections will be evaluated at the earliest possible to provide assistance to those who are most in need and ensure equitable distribution of resources, he added.
The Aswesuma welfare benefits program, initiated as part of the social safety net to alleviate the ongoing economic crisis, is carried out under the purview of State Minister Semasinghe, with the involvement of various government agencies, including the Ministry of Finance.
Through this program, financial assistance will be provided to the lower-income group, comprising 40% of society, across four categories – transitional, vulnerable, poor and extremely poor. The government aims to offer LKR 15,000 per month to families falling under the extremely poor category.
