Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa says an allocation of around Rs. 15,000 million will be made to implement a program identifying low-income families at the Grama Niladhari Division level and to provide them with relief packages to alleviate the pressure of the soaring cost of living.
He made this proposal delivering the budget speech for the fiscal year 2022 in the Parliament earlier today (November 12).
In addition, he proposed to extend the provision of the nutrition package for pregnant women, each valued at Rs.10,000 for a period of 24 months.
To ensure that nutritional requirements of both the baby and the mother, the Home Security Programme will prioritize the nutrition needs of the new born children by supporting the lactating mothers, the minister noted.
Apart from the existing allocation for this program, a further Rs. 1,000 million will be set aside for this purpose, he stated further.
In the meantime, concessions will be provided to school vans, three-wheelers and private bus owners who were affected by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The minister proposed Rs. 400 million, Rs. 600 million and Rs. 1,500 million have been allocated for to provide relief to three school transport vehicle owners, three-wheeler owners, and private bus owners, respectively.
