Deputy Minister of Finance Anil Jayantha Fernando assured the public on Monday that the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund remains safe and protected, in the government’s first formal pushback against allegations and public concerns about the post-Cyclone Ditwah fund’s integrity.
Speaking to reporters, the deputy minister said all expenditure from the fund is subject to parliamentary approval and existing legal limitations. He confirmed that as of April 24, 2026, a total of Rs. 9,583 million has been deposited into the fund. Contributions have been received from 49 countries, comprising both Sri Lankan and foreign donors, with some donations made in foreign exchange but credited in Sri Lankan rupees.
“There need not be any fear. The money remains safe in the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund account,” Fernando said.
The deputy minister also addressed the wider fiscal envelope for cyclone recovery, noting that Rs. 500 billion was allocated through a 2025 supplementary estimate to address post-Ditwah response. A large portion of those allocated funds is yet to be utilised, he said, with the government carefully considering how best to deploy them for approved programmes that benefit the public.
The Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund was established to support those affected by Cyclone Ditwah, which killed 646 people and caused $4.1 billion in damage in November 2025. The fund has received high-profile institutional contributions including Rs. 300 million from People’s Bank and Rs. 9.6 million from Sri Lanka Police.
Fernando’s statement comes in the same week the government has been on the defensive over the unrelated Treasury $2.5 million hacker fraud and the resulting opposition criticism of NPP fiscal management — a backdrop that has put the integrity of all post-Ditwah financial channels under scrutiny.
