Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2023-04-17

Preparation and implementation of a Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme in terms of the provisions of the Welfare Benefits Act, No.24 of 2002

- In accordance with the provisions of the Welfare Benefits Act, No.24 of 2002, matters such as period applicable to the payment of welfare benefits, total number of beneficiaries under the scheme, date of commencement of implementation and the cost for implementing the scheme should be specifically mentioned and after obtaining the the approval of the Cabinet for the same, it should be published in the Gazette and approval of Parliament should be obtained prior to the payment of relevant benefits. As such, the Secretary to the President has appointed a Technical Committee consisting of experts in the relevant field to obtain guidelines to prepare a Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme to be implemented accordingly. Taking also into consideration the matters stated in the Report presented by the said Technical Committee, it has been planned to implement a Welfare Benefit Scheme for the transitional, vulnerable, poor and extremely poor social groups based on the poverty gap. Similarly, it has been planned to identify differently abled persons, kidney patients due to undiagnosed causes and elderly persons who are currently receiving benefits and implement separate benefit schemes as well for such people. Accordingly, the proposed Welfare Benefit Schemes are expected to be operated from 01/07/2023, and the total cost is estimated to be Rs. 206 billion per year. Accordingly, the proposal made by the President in his capacity as Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies to implement the proposed Welfare Benefit Payment Schemes, was approved by the Cabinet.