Archives

New features to expand Samurdhi

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

Several new features will be introduced to the Sri Lanka Samurdhi Authority (SLSA) shortly to expedite programs implemented by the Government to alleviate poverty among low income families in the country.

Under this restructuring process, a new foreign relations unit and a counselling section to assist low income groups will be established, SLSA Director General Dr. Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne told the Daily News.

He said a strategic plan is being drawn up to promote the Samurdhi movement and seek financial assistance of World Bank and other donor agencies to develop the Samurdhi program. In addition, a new IT section and a small enterprise section will be set up at the SLSA to operate the Samurdhi movement to cater to the needs of poor in a more productive manner.

Dr. Nawaratne said: "In future key attention will be focused on evaluating result based performance of the Samurdhi programs while initiatives will also be taken to set up a separate Youth and Cultural Section for the Samurdhi movement at the folk Art Centre, Battaramulla.

Meanwhile the Samurdhi Ministry is to combine the Department of the Commissioner General of Samurdhi and the Department of Poor Relief under one name to address the issues of the poor in keeping with modern day needs.

He said at present the Samurdhi movement is facing several new challenges. Maintaining a proper and even distribution of income in the context of economic development is one such challenge.

Dr. Nawaratne said today economic development is restricted to certain areas of the country and there is a possibility of increasing the regional disparity. In this situation, national level policies have to be prepared to overcome these challenges.

According to latest statistics the Western Province has 23 per cent of its population below poverty while the Central Province has 43 per cent. Southern Province 41 and North Western province 52, North Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces 47 per cent and Uva province 55 per cent. These figures indicate the disparity of the income distribution.

He said initiatives should be taken to distribute income to the lower segment of the society. The minus zero point economic growth recorded last year has badly affected the poor. 

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager