• Requests currently undergoing house-to-house verification
• Allocations may be revised if economic conditions worsen

The Government has set a deadline for the conclusion of the comprehensive recertification process planned for an estimated three million applicants for the ‘Aswesuma’ welfare programme by the end of June, Minister of Rural Development, Social Security, and Community Empowerment Dr. Upali Pannilage said.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Pannilage said that three million requests for recertification had been received and were undergoing rigorous verification at the ground level across the country at present.

Addressing the immediate timeline and the verification procedure, Pannilage said: “The only mandatory task at present is the ‘Aswesuma’ recertification. Three million recertification requests have been made and are currently being verified by grama niladharis, who are conducting house-to-house checks. This initial verification must be completed by the end of June. Subsequently, there will be a separate process for appeals, which is currently ongoing.”

The ground-level checks will be followed by an extensive appeals phase to ensure fairness and accuracy in the distribution of welfare funds. This subsequent phase is expected to take several months before a final, formalised welfare system is presented to Parliament for approval.

Detailing the long-term timeline for the finalised welfare list, Pannilage noted: “Following the recertification, selection of a new group of beneficiaries, and appeals process, it will take approximately three additional months from June to finalise. Thereafter, the finalised framework may be gazetted and presented to Parliament to be established as a new system.”

Meanwhile, the Government is actively monitoring the impact of recent price volatility, inflation, and dollar fluctuations on vulnerable communities. 

Deputy Minister of Rural Development, Social Security, and Community Empowerment Wasantha Piyathissa acknowledged the rising cost of living and stated that authorities were considering adjustments to existing welfare schemes to provide adequate economic relief.

“This is a situation occurring globally. Along with the rise in global oil prices, the cost of all commodities has increased. Consequently, when import expenditures continue as before, our dollar reserves naturally deplete. As reserves deplete, the dollar strengthens and the rupee depreciates to some extent. 

“Currently, a significantly larger amount of dollars is spent on oil imports; whereas we previously spent $ 196 million, we now spend over $ 500 million per month. This is the reality of the situation. However, we will not allow this to escalate into another economic collapse like we experienced in the past. 

“Even at present, we maintain $ 7 billion in national reserves. Although dollar liquidity in the banking system has declined slightly, our reserves remain stable, with daily inflows continuing,” he said.

Speaking on the direct impact on welfare beneficiaries and potential financial adjustments to match inflation, Piyathissa noted: “It is true that the prices of imported goods and transport costs have increased. However, when it comes to welfare, we are prepared to reconsider and adjust the allocations. We are committed to protecting vulnerable categories as much as possible. For instance, the Government subsidises electricity so that tariffs do not increase for 95% of the population. 

“We view providing welfare as a means of protecting our citizens. We have enhanced welfare benefits on several previous occasions, and if necessary, we can do so again. For now, this remains at the discussion stage, and a final decision has not been made yet. We are staying highly vigilant. If a critical situation arises where we must increase welfare disbursements, we still have adequate financial reserves in rupees to allocate the necessary funds. We are monitoring the situation closely, but it has not yet reached a crisis level.”

Currently, the ‘Aswesuma’ welfare programme provides financial assistance to approximately 1.72 million families across Sri Lanka, which translates to roughly 4.9 million people or about 22% of the country’s total population.