According to State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe, new applications for the “Aswesuma” Social Welfare Benefit Program 2024 would start to be accepted when all appeals and objections have been considered.
The Minister stated that preliminary work was being done on the appeals and objections that the divisional secretaries had received in order to strengthen the relief program’s flaws.
At a news conference conducted at the Presidential Media Center (PMC) on yesterday, March 3, with the topic “Collective Path to a Stable Country,” he shared his opinions.
Minister Semasinghe elaborated that, of the 1,280,000 families receiving Samurdhi benefit who have applied for ‘Aswesuma’ 2024, 887,653 families have qualified. It was also decided to extend the Samurdhi allowance to 393,094 families who are not qualified for ‘Aswesuma’, from among the families currently receiving the Samurdhi subsidy, until the Appeals/Objection process is concluded. The Welfare Benefits Board has selected 1,792,265 beneficiaries for the Aswesuma programme. Relief has been targetted for 2 million families, post Appeals/Objections review.
Meanwhile, the elderly and the kidney and disabled people receiving assistance will be paid as previously. Accordingly, arrangements will be made to provide elderly allowances through post offices and kidney and disabled allowances through Divisional Secretariats.
The 11,660 people in elderly homes, children’s homes, disabled centers and religious places will receive allowances without a change, until a new policy is formulated.
Meanwhile, the Welfare Benefits Board has received the details of 1 million accounts for the payment while the Government requests those eligible to open accounts as soon as possible, to receive their benefits.
‘Aswesuma’ is not a programme to undermine the Samurdhi Movement or the Samurdhi Banks. In order to further strengthen Samurdhi Banks, it is hoped to prepare a programme through which the Department of Samurdhi Development will be regulated by the Central Bank in the future.
Source – Daily News
