President announces special relief package in Parliament

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake presented a new economic relief package in Parliament today (07) to support groups affected by the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. While speaking to lawmakers, President Dissanayake announced an increase in the fertilizer subsidy for farmers to Rs. 30,000 per hectare for the Yala season. Additionally, the subsidy for other crops will go up from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 18,000 per hectare. The President also shared plans to temporarily adjust the Aswesuma allowance. The monthly allowance for the extremely poor category will rise from Rs. 17,500 to Rs. 25,000, while the allowance for the poor category will increase from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000. Furthermore, the transition allowance will see an increase of Rs. 2,500. In his address, President Dissanayake pointed out that many sectors in Sri Lanka have been negatively affected by the Middle East conflict. He stressed that the government is staying alert and responsive to these changes. He highlighted the fuel and energy sectors, noting that changes in fuel prices have a direct impact on people's daily lives. He mentioned that, according to current market prices, a litre of diesel should cost more than Rs. 600. “The first of May, or a date close to it, will see the reintroduction of fuel cost-reflective pricing. The prices will be based on actual data from the previous month. In the next adjustment, we aim to provide a subsidy of up to Rs. 100 per litre for diesel and up to Rs. 20 per litre for petrol,” the President explained. “We estimate a monthly expense of Rs. 20 billion for this measure, which is planned for three months, targeting specific communities,” he added. However, the President mentioned that due to a lack of sufficient data, the prices for Super Diesel and Super Petrol will be set according to market rates.