Defence Ministry Discusses Proposed Integration of Military Welfare Funds

A special discussion on the proposed integration of the National Defence Fund and the ‘Api Wenuwen Api’ Fund was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) at the Presidential Secretariat Recently.

The discussion primarily focused on the appointment of an expert committee to study the possibility of integrating the National Defence Fund and the ‘Api Wenuwen Api’ Fund with the Ranaviru Seva Fund and other special welfare programmes implemented for the Tri-Services and other service personnel. Attention was also drawn to the feasibility of such an integration, including the related financial, legal and administrative aspects.

The proposed initiative is expected to streamline the provision of assistance through the aforementioned funds while expanding the number of members of the armed forces and their families eligible to receive such welfare benefits.

In addition, the possibility of providing financial assistance to members of the armed forces to settle loans obtained from financial institutions was discussed. Preliminary discussions were also held on identifying feasible mechanisms and an institutional framework to provide such assistance.

Senior officials representing the Senior Additional Secretary to the President, Mr. Kapila Janaka Bandara, the Ranaviru Seva Authority, the Attorney General’s Department, the Department of National Budget, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defence participated in the discussion.