President’s Senior Advisor on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayaka said that the active participation of Government officials is essential for the implementation of the “Aswasuma” social welfare benefit programme, initiated to empower low-income families and provide relief to those in need.
He said policy decisions to be taken for the upliftment of the low-income people should be taken without delay and pointed out that the country had to face many economic problems in the past due to the failure to take those policy decisions properly. Ratnayaka expressed these views during the discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat on Tuesday (18) regarding the active participation of government officials in the “Aswasuma” social welfare benefit programme.
The progress of the “Aswasuma” social welfare benefit payment programme so far was reviewed and Ratnayaka instructed officials to provide those benefits to everyone registered for kidney, disabled and elderly allowances.
Ratnayaka explained the need to formalise the identification of beneficiaries in the implementation of the Aswasuma Social Welfare Programme, which was introduced to replace the Samurdhi Development Programme that was implemented for low-income families, and requested the Samurdhi Development officials support it.
It was discussed at length about expediting the work of identifying the deserving persons by settling the appeals and objections received so far for the “Aswasuma” programme with the participation of Samurdhi Development Officers who had left this programme.
Ratnayaka also pointed out the importance of advancing this programme in a timely manner using modern technology.
Finance State Minister Shehan Semasinghe, Social Empowerment State Minister Anupa Pasqual, North Western Province Governor Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Director General of Samurdhi Development R.P.B.Thilakasiri and representatives of the All Ceylon Samurdhi Managers’ Association also participated in this discussion.