President Ranil Wickremesinghe, delivering the 2024 Budget Speech today, stated that the allowances for kidney and elderly persons would be increased in 2024.
Accordingly, the Head of the State emphasized that the current monthly allowance of Rs. 5, 000 granted per individual suffering from kidney diseases would be increased up to Rs. 7,500 by next year.
“This is almost a 50% increment”, he said.
The number of beneficiaries who receive the relevant allowances stand at 130,000, as mentioned by the President.
Meanwhile, Wickremesinghe also proposed through the 2024 budget to increase the monthly allowance granted for elderly persons up to Rs. 3,000 in 2024. A sum of Rs. 2,000 is currently paid to an elderly individual.
The President, who expressed that the current number of beneficiaries who receive the elderly persons’ allowance is 530,000, also highlighted that measures would be taken to incorporate the individuals in the waiting lists into the lists of beneficiaries by next year.
The total amount allocated for the purpose is Rs. 138 billion, according to the President.
In addition, Wickremesinghe asserted that the total amount of expense for “Aswesuma” welfare benefits, allowances for disabled, elderly and kidney patients is planned to be increased up to Rs. 205 billion, Wickremesinghe said.
