Ensuring the proper targeting of social welfare

The Government has launched a new online program to ensure equitable distribution of social benefits. The program, which is now in the initial phase of implementation, will give the public access to an electronic database which provides information on all the welfare benefits offered by the Government, a statement released by the Ministry of Policy Development said. 

“The public can obtain information about the areas in which those projects are being implemented and how much money has been spent. The data collected is still in the initial phase and is awaiting confirmation through the District and Divisional Secretaries,” the statement announced.

Further, the program will provide more accurate information about all the welfare beneficiaries and provide a system to identify the people who are entitled to these welfare benefits in order to eliminate fraud and wastage and to ensure transparency, the statement highlighted. This is a source of data which carries island-wide information on these welfare projects and their progress.

The Policy Development Office of the Prime Minister’s Office had initiated this concept and the project is now being implemented together with the Department of Project Management and Monitoring and the Information Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA). The web page has already been opened to the public through http://socialregistry.gov.lk.