The government is weighing a faster, digitalised overhaul of how beneficiaries are identified under the Aswesuma welfare programme, following a high-level meeting at the Finance Ministry on Tuesday.
The discussion focused on revising existing eligibility criteria, expediting the identification process and using digital tools to lift accuracy and efficiency in beneficiary selection, Daily FT reported. Officials examined both immediate steps and longer-term changes that could require amendments to the underlying Act.
Administrative measures discussed included filling existing vacancies, increasing the role of Grama Niladharis in field assessment, and refining the payment mechanism. The aim, according to officials, is to improve transparency, speed and accuracy so support reaches eligible households more reliably.
The meeting was chaired by Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment Minister Upali Pannalage and Finance and Planning Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, with Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne and officials of the Welfare Benefits Board attending.
Aswesuma — Sri Lanka’s flagship cash transfer programme launched under IMF conditionality — has faced sustained criticism over both inclusion and exclusion errors. The Welfare Benefits Board has previously cited a beneficiary survey scheduled for July as the next reset point, while monthly disbursements continue to roughly 689,931 households in the latest installment.
