President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that the programme to provide compensation for fully damaged houses and to construct new homes for families affected by the disaster will commence on January 09th in Anuradhapura and Kurunegala.
The President made these remarks while participating in the second meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Finance, Planning and Economic Development of the 10th Parliament, held this afternoon (7 January) at the Parliamentary Complex.
During the meeting, extensive discussions were held on the current status of the Government’s relief programme for communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah, including resettlement efforts and compensation for crop damage. The President also noted that instructions have been issued to the Department of Agriculture and the Agrarian Services Department to expedite the payment of compensation based on accurate data collection and verified statistics.
The meeting also discussed the loan scheme implemented for small and medium-scale entrepreneurs affected by the disaster. The President emphasized the need to engage with banks and to implement an awareness programme to inform the business community about access to these loan facilities.
Highlighting the importance of registering all businesses that contribute to the national economy, the President underscored the need for a dedicated mechanism to ensure registration and for educating the business community on the benefits of formal registration.
President Dissanayake further stated that the Government has also given due consideration to providing relief to unregistered small and medium-scale entrepreneurs affected by the recent disaster and that District Secretaries have been instructed to submit relevant reports in this regard.
Emphasizing the importance of efficient utilization of funds allocated for development projects, the President cautioned that failure to do so would hinder the achievement of development targets within the stipulated timeframes.
He also stressed that post-disaster recovery efforts should not merely restore livelihoods to their previous state, but should aim to elevate the living standards of affected communities beyond pre-disaster levels.
Several Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Members of Parliament participated in the meeting, along with Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Commissioner-General of Essential Services and Secretary to the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, Prabath Chandrakirthi and senior officials representing institutions under the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.