Increased expenditure on welfare measures

By Uditha KUMARASINGHE

The Government has spent Rs. 30,215 million to grant welfare payments and subsidies to the public up to May 2009, compared to Rs.26,813 million spent in the corresponding period of 2008.

During the period from January to May this year, the welfare assistance provided by the Government for poorer segments of the society, displaced persons, differently abled soldiers and vulnerable groups was Rs. 10,246 million.

According to the Mid Year Fiscal Position Report of the Finance Ministry, the Government has also conducted its nutritional intervention programs with the intention of improving maternal and child care at increased costs.

A "nutrition pack" (Poshana Malla), a program to provide nutritional food to expectant mothers and schoolchildren continued with an increased cost of Rs.183 million while spending Rs.586 million for nutritional food for schoolchildren in the first five months of 2009.

The cost of welfare programs implemented for the benefit of school children by providing free school textbooks, uniforms, season tickets and free Dhamma School textbooks amounted to Rs.1,280 million in the first five months of 2009.

A Finance Ministry Spokesman told the Sunday Observer that the Government has also continued its programs in channelling enhanced resources with a commitment to accelerate development programs, targeting the rural sector especially the newly liberated areas, through rural development initiatives such as "Gama Neguma", "Maga Neguma", "Uthuru Wasanthaya" and other pro-poor development activities.

He said the momentum gained with respect to key national infrastructure development projects consisting of roads and bridges, power generation, ports,irrigation,water supply and human resources development during the past years was well maintained in 2009.

The total public investment amounted to Rs.85 billion during the period from January to April 2009, an increase of 14 per cent over the same period of 2008.

The Government's expenditure on "Maga Neguma", the islandwide rural infrastructure development program, amounted to Rs.1,335 million as at end May 2009.