PM puts Govt. expenditure on COVID-19-related expenses at Rs. 70 b

• Daily expenditure on COVID-19-related expenses exceeds Rs. 50 m
• Highlights pandemic has adversely affected export, tourism and foreign employment sectors

The Government has so far spent around Rs. 70 billion for COVID-19-related activities, including identification of patients, quarantining activities, random testing and related welfare activities, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa told Parliament yesterday.

“Hospital capacity for disease prevention, which was limited to Colombo, has now been increased to 17 hospitals in less than a year, covering almost all parts of the country. The number of special care beds for COVID-19 patients have been increased to around 600. Daily PCR testing capacity for the diagnosis of the disease has been increased to an average of 7,500 to 10,000 tests per day with each test costing around Rs. 6,000, with the daily expenditure exceedingly almost Rs. 50 million,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the Government also spends a substantial amount for the food and welfare of those on 14-day quarantine.

In addition, it was pointed out that an allowance of Rs. 5,000 was granted to low-income families that were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, while the Government was also bearing expenditures related to the payment of the allowances of public servants who were engaged in those services and other related expenditure.

He added that this situation had adversely affected the exports of the country, its tourism and foreign employment sectors.

“The pressures exerted on the foreign currency generating employment and livelihoods, private enterprises, Government revenue and also the religious and social lives of the people is immense,” Rajapaksa said.