Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund exceeds Rs. 8.5 b, aid goods Rs. 23 b

• Treasury Secretary says overwhelmed by the scale of support

Treasury Secretary  Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma

Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma yesterday said the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund has received over Rs. 8.5 billion in financial donations and aid goods worth Rs. 23 billion from across the world to support its reconstruction and relief efforts, with contributions flowing in from Sri Lanka and 47 countries.

Providing an update on the Government’s rebuilding program via a video, he said the Treasury is maintaining strict accountability, transparency, and regulatory oversight over all funds received.

“Treasury is keeping accounts of these funds subject to the same level of rigor in terms of accountability, transparency, reporting, and other regulatory requirements,” he said.

He noted that since the rebuilding process began, Sri Lanka has been “overwhelmed” by the scale of global support extended by Sri Lankans living overseas, foreign citizens, donor agencies, and businesses both locally and internationally.

According to Dr. Suriyapperuma, the total financial assistance received to date has exceeded Rs. 8.5 billion, including foreign currency inflows amounting to around $ 9.49 million. 

“We are truly appreciative and thankful for these generous donations extended to Sri Lanka to recognise the devastation and to support the course of rebuilding,” he said.

Breaking down the sources of donations, the Treasury Secretary said financial assistance had been received from individuals and organizations in 47 countries. The United States tops the list, with contributions exceeding Rs. 1 billion terms. He also listed out Australia, China, the UK, Germany, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Bhutan, Italy and South Korea as top donor countries.

Dr. Suriyapperuma added that donations have also come from a wide range of other countries, including Nepal, Qatar, Norway, Denmark, Turkey, Kenya, Botswana, Greece, Belgium, and the Netherlands, underscoring the global nature of the support.

“This shows that Sri Lanka is not left alone. Support has been pouring in from all over the world to encourage and strengthen the rebuilding exercise,” he said.

In addition to cash contributions, he stated that Sri Lanka has received a substantial volume of in-kind assistance. Based on reports from Sri Lanka Customs, the total value of goods received to date exceeds Rs. 23 billion.

These goods have been cleared free of duties and immediately directed to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), which has been responsible for distributing them swiftly among affected communities through relevant State institutions.

“These resources were allocated immediately to assist resettlement programmes and support the rebuilding effort,” the Treasury Secretary said, adding that a dedicated task force is continuing to facilitate these operations.

Reiterating the Government’s gratitude to donors and well-wishers, particularly Sri Lankans living overseas, Dr. Suriyapperuma said the Treasury would continue to provide regular updates on the rebuilding process.

“We are deeply appreciative of the generosity extended to Sri Lanka, and we will continue to share similar updates as we move forward,” he said.

Insurance industry gets Rs. 92 b worth of Ditwah-related claims

• Treasury says over 24,000 insurance claims received, settlements monitored by regulator 
• Claims worth Rs. 47 b already settled, claims amounting to Rs. 45 b being processed

Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma yesterday said that the insurance industry has received Ditwah-related claims worth Rs. 92 billion, of which a little more than 50% have been settled. 

He said the Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (IRCSL) is closely monitoring claims related to the disaster with over 24,000 insurance claims received so far. 

Insurance...

Of these, claims worth Rs. 47 billion have already been settled, while claims amounting to Rs. 45 billion are currently being processed. Some claims have been rejected on valid grounds, in line with regulatory assessments.

“This shows that a significant amount of money is being released back into the economy to help affected people and businesses restart their livelihoods,” he said.

He added that the Government has launched several programmes to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and livelihoods, ensuring that families and businesses can recover and resume economic activity as early as possible.