Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya told parliament on Tuesday that the government has rolled out a comprehensive recovery programme for fishing communities and entrepreneurs hit by Cyclone Ditwah, including replacement vessels, a Rs. 10 billion concessional loan facility and a Central Bank loan-repayment moratorium.
Responding to questions in the House, the Prime Minister said the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources had launched a special assistance programme covering both marine and inland fishermen. Under the scheme, new fishing vessels are being supplied to replace boats that were completely destroyed, partially damaged vessels are being repaired and fishing nets distributed to eligible fishermen.
On the business recovery track, the government has set up a concessional lending facility at 3 per cent annual interest, with a total allocation of Rs. 10 billion channelled through 15 banks. As of 28 April 2026, Rs. 3,812 million had been disbursed to 2,800 entrepreneurs, the Prime Minister told the House. The scheme offers repayment periods of up to three years, including a six-month grace period. Applicants must obtain recommendations from the Grama Niladhari and Divisional Secretary certifying that the business was operational before the cyclone and was affected by it.
On the instruction of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, licensed banks have granted a moratorium on loan repayments and waived penalty interest until 31 January 2026, the Prime Minister said. Compensation payments to affected entrepreneurs are continuing in line with the relevant ministerial circulars and disaster-relief guidelines.
The parliamentary statement caps the most detailed government disclosure of the Ditwah-recovery facility’s uptake to date and follows the six-month CRIB credit relief framework rolled out in mid-cycle and the Rs. 75,000 ornamental-fish recovery grant for affected smaller-scale producers. The Rs. 3.8 billion disbursed against the Rs. 10 billion ceiling implies roughly 38 per cent of the facility’s headroom has been used in the first four months, with the largest concentration of damage in the 25 districts where the UN Resident Coordinator’s Cyclone Ditwah Humanitarian Response Plan formally closed at the end of April.
