Govt. revises terms for one-time relief to disaster-affected businesses

Saturday, 24 January 2026 04:51 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Government has issued a new circular providing further relief to businesses disrupted by recent disasters, with the objective of restoring livelihoods, improving living conditions, and accelerating the return to normalcy for affected communities.

The circular builds on the empowerment program introduced under Budget Circular No. 08/2025 dated December 5, 2025, along with its subsequent amendments, and introduces clarifications and revisions to ensure more efficient and effective implementation of business assistance measures. These changes specifically relate to Sub-Item No. 8 of the allowance framework outlined in the original budget circular.

Under the revised provisions, a one-time grant will be provided to help disaster-affected businesses become fit for resumption.

Individual, small and micro businesses registered with the Industry Ministry will be eligible for a grant of Rs. 200,000 per unit, while similar businesses registered with the Divisional Secretariat will also qualify for Rs. 200,000 per unit.

For unregistered domestic permanent commercial businesses operating from buildings, a grant of Rs. 50,000 will be provided. The same amount of Rs. 50,000 per unit will be extended to unregistered manufacturing industries, greenhouses, and similar operations. Meanwhile, businesses engaged in trade through temporary units, including mobile or stationary setups, will be eligible for a grant of Rs. 25,000.

The circular clarifies that businesses qualifying under categories covering registered entities, those registered with either the Industry Ministry or the Divisional Secretariat will be entitled to only one grant per business unit, even if they fall under both categories.

Similarly, if a beneficiary qualifies under more than one of the unregistered business categories, including domestic commercial activities, manufacturing or greenhouse operations, or temporary trading units, they will be entitled to only one allowance under those categories.

Funding for the program will be provided by the Defence Ministry under Head of Expenditure No. 103, with payments to be disbursed through the Divisional Secretariats.

All other provisions contained in Budget Circular No. 08/2025 and Budget Circular No. 08/2025 (1) will remain unchanged, the circular stated, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to supporting disaster-affected businesses and ensuring a coordinated recovery process.