The government of Sri Lanka has allocated 170 billion for Covid response for 2021 and Rs. 96 billion has been spent last year Mr. Ajith Nivard Cabraal, State Minister for Finance, Capital Markets and Public Enterprise Reforms said in the Parliament today (18).
In the year 2021, Rs. 41.9 billion has been already spent and another Rs. 138 billion has been allocated directly, the state minister said.
State Minister Cabraal also expressed his views as follows.
“As a government we have a duty to say how much money we have spent to manage this Covid situation. In the months of May and April 2020, Rs. 5000 was given. The amount we have spent directly is Rs. 56, 593 million.
For quarantine activities, health infrastructure, medicines and supply services the government spent Rs. 29, 045 million. The amount provided by the District Secretaries in the Gampaha, Colombo, Kalutara, Kurunegala, Batticaloa and Ratnapura Districts affected by the re-expansion of COVID in October-November was Rs. 7073 million.
For quarantined families, Rs. 10,000 million by issuing a tax bag. 2846. 311 million to provide assistance to government agencies that have been reduced due to COVID. 102 million for facilities provided by District and Divisional Secretariats. 88 million to purchase agricultural produce.
“Debt payments have been delayed and that has been facilitated. No other government has provided this facility. Despite all these, the country’s financial stability has been preserved. We gave a prosperous loan. It has given 4% to 53,252. 16,560 LTTE cadres have been allocated for one. The country needs to know what this is doing. ”