Social safety net

The Government has stated that it will not revert to the controversial Samurdhi social welfare program, citing its lack of transparency and failure to provide welfare benefits to those in need effectively. 

 

 

State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe emphasized that the Samurdhi scheme had been manipulated, resulting in benefits received by individuals who still needed to meet the eligibility criteria, including those with higher incomes. 

 

 

The Government aims to address this issue of misallocation by implementing the new social welfare scheme called Aswesuma.

 

 

Semasinghe assured that the Aswesuma program would prioritize those below the poverty line and genuinely needing financial assistance. The Divisional Secretariat will ensure that only eligible individuals are selected, and anyone found to be above the poverty line or not meeting the criteria will be removed from the beneficiary list.

 

 

Regarding concerns that some previous beneficiaries of the Samurdhi program were left out under the new scheme, Semasinghe stated that beneficiaries still needed to be finalized.

 

 

 An indicative name list has been published, allowing time for objections and appeals. Once this period is completed, the final list of selected beneficiaries will be issued. 

 

 

Semasinghe urged individuals who wish to be included in the scheme to file appeals or objections with the Divisional Secretariat rather than seeking assistance from unions or politicians.

 

 

Following the economic crisis, Sri Lanka introduced the Aswesuma program as a new social safety net initiative. With support from multinational agencies, a poverty survey was conducted to identify eligible individuals for receiving benefits. 

 

 

While some Members of Parliament have expressed concerns about alleged shortcomings in the new scheme, the Government maintains its stance on discontinuing the Samurdhi program.