Cabinet nod to extend Rs. 5,000 allowance for low-income families during festive season

Energy Minister Gamini Lokuge

The Cabinet of Ministers approved to pay a special allowance of Rs. 5,000 to low-income earning families for two months in view of the festive season.

“Around 3.1 million low-income families have been identified to receive the Rs. 5,000 allowance,” Energy Minister Gamini Lokuge told journalists on the side-lines of the post-Cabinet meeting held yesterday.

He said that the allowance will be provided as a bonus for the upcoming Sinhala and Tamil New Year.

When asked whether the Government has sufficient funds to extend such relief package, Minister Lokuge said that there are funds with, adding that they would not be able to provide Rs. 5,000 allowance if they did not have money.