Friday, 13 August 2004 |
Politics |
News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries | Rs.650 million missing in one year: More big fish to be netted in great Samurdhi Scam - Cabinet spokesman by Manjula Fernando and Nadira Gunatilleke The Government yesterday accused the former Samurdhi authorities for squandering over Rs.650 million from the Social Security Fund (SSF) that was set up to look after the poorest of the poor in the country in their time of need. "The arrest of former Minister Abdul Cader was an isolated incident in this major fraud. He was accused of defrauding around Rs.1 million. But we have found that over Rs.656.2 million saved during the period from 2002 to 2003 are missing from the Social Security Fund," Information and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera told the Cabinet new briefing. "The big fish in this scam is yet to be exposed and arrested," the Minister said. The Minister said although the Rs. 1 million taken by the former Minister claiming it was for the purchase of rice for distribution to 10 Mosques for Ramazan, the trustees had denied they had made any request for rice. Minister Samaraweera said the Government was crediting Rs.130 million in each account of the beneficiary including Rs.30 million in the SSF. The total figure saved within a year in the SSF should have amounted to Rs.458.2 million. This program aimed at providing financial assistance for the rural and urban poor in their hour of need was initiated by the PA government during 1994. Former Samurdhi Minister S.B.Dissanayake and several others are responsible for squandering the Samurdhi funds. In 2002, a total of Rs.121.2 million and a total of Rs.138.9 million in 2003 has been doled out to Samurdhi beneficiaries to cover their expenses for funerals, weddings and hospitalisation, etc. There should have been Rs.656.2 million left in the Fund,but this is missing, according to the Minister. In response to questions by the media the Minister denied that Cader was arrested outside the normal legal procedure. He also indicated that there were several big names to be arrested in this connection. ******** Bill to ensure proper use of Samurdhi funds In the wake of numerous allegations relating to the misappropriation of Samurdhi funds, the Government will shortly present a Bill before Parliament to ensure the proper use of these funds in the future. Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi told the media yesterday that the Bill titled 'Samurdhi Social Security Fund Bill' will ensure that Samurdhi funds will be used strictly to assist the poor. It will prevent the use of Samurdhi funds for other purposes. "Our attention was focused during the past four months on the need to have a legal framework to protect Samurdhi funds from being misappropriated. This Bill was prepared as a result. It has received Cabinet approval. It is now with the Legal Draughtsman," the Minister said. According to the Ministry, audit inquiries carried out so far have revealed several instances where money from the Samurdhi Social Security Fund was fraudulently used under the UNF government for purposes other than poverty alleviation. "We also discovered that the funds had also been invested in around 10 large scale industries which have now turned out to be 100 per cent failures. Therefore, the Government has decided not to make such investments of Samurdhi funds hereafter," Deputy Minister Rohana Dissanayake said. Meanwhile, the Government has also decided to secure the jobs of all Samurdhi Development Officers and Managers by making them permanent employees under the Samurdhi Authority. Out of the 28,000 Samurdhi officers, only 3,000 now have permanent jobs. "We will also take steps to rectify their salary anomalies, provide them loans at a lower interest rate, design a proper promotional scheme for them and thus elevate their position to that of other graduates working under any Authority," Wanniarachchi said. The Minister said these measures were aimed at creating a conducive working environment for Samurdhi Officers who shoulder a great responsibility in the poverty alleviation program of the country. |
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |