The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa

¶ 01 Mahapola Trust Fund: Details

¶ 02 (On behalf of the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development, replying to Question No. 472/2025 by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake)

¶ 03 (a) (i) Names of the Members of the Board of Trustees of the Lalith Athulathmudali Mahapola Trust Fund: - Chairman: Mr. Wijith K. Malalgoda, Retired Justice of the Supreme Court - Ex-officio: Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe, Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development - Secretary to the Ministry in charge of Higher Education and Education: Mr. Nalaka Kaluwawa - Secretary to the Ministry in charge of Trade: Mr. K. Vimalenthirarajah - Appointed Member: Senior Professor Kapila Perera Senewiratne, Chairman, University Grants Commission - Appointed Member: Mr. Chandana Kumudu Kumara

¶ 04 (ii) Appointing authority: In terms of Section 3(2) of the Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund Act, No. 66 of 1981 as amended by the Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund (Amendment) Act, No. 1 of 2022, the ex-officio member is the Minister in charge or his nominee; the Chairman is appointed by the President; the Secretaries serve ex-officio; appointed members are appointed by the Minister.

¶ 05 (iii) Total value of the Fund as at 31.12.2025: Rs. 21,600 million.

¶ 06 (b) (i) Funds received annually by the Fund and sources (Rs. million):

¶ 07 2022 / 2023 / 2024 / 2025 (Est.) - Interest on Fixed Deposits: 272 / 258 / 158 / 169 - Interest on Treasury Bonds: 2 / 440 / 611 / 698 - Interest on Treasury Bills: 91 / 1,514 / 942 / 762 - Debenture interest: 11 / 10 / – / – - Development Lottery dividends (50% share): 1,382 / 1,519 / 1,418 / 3,062 - Rent from Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Malabe: 25 / 25 / 25 / 25 - Short-term REPO income: 5 / 35 / 98 / 47 - Other income: 28 / 30 / 8 / 5 Total: 3,179 / 4,005 / 3,258 / 4,768

¶ 08 Details from finalized accounts 2014–2024 are in Annex 1, tabled.

¶ 09 Funds received annually from UGC and the Ministry of Education/Higher/Vocational Education for Mahapola scholarships (Rs. million):

¶ 10 2022 / 2023 / 2025 (Est.) 1) Treasury grant via UGC for university students 2) Ministry funds for students of Advanced Technological Institutes: – / – / 67.5 Total: 1,389 / 1,477 / 1,500 / 2,210.5

¶ 11 (ii) Recurrent expenditure of the Fund (2022 to Nov. 2025) (Rs. million): 2022: 58; 2023: 57; 2024: 51; 2025 (up to Nov.): 41

¶ 12 (iii) Annual payments for scholarships and non-recurrent (capital) expenditure (Rs. million): Scholarship expenditure (Fund contribution): 2022: 1,288; 2023: 1,540; 2024: 1,564; 2025 (up to Nov.): 2,215 Non-recurrent (capital) expenditure: [figures tabled in Annex]

¶ 13 (iv) Number of scholarships awarded annually (scholarship recipients): 2021: 18,500; 2022: 18,500; 2023: 18,500; 2024: 19,500; 2025: 19,500 (Includes 17,000 university students annually and 1,500 other institute students; other institutes: 1,000 each year.)

¶ 14 (v) Total number of students who have received scholarships from inception (1981) to 2025: 418,637. In 1981, 422 university students received scholarships; by 2025, 17,000 per academic year (34,000 across two academic years).

¶ 15 Annual scholarship numbers 1981–2025 are in Annex 2, tabled.

¶ 16 (c) Does not arise.

¶ 17 A detailed reply with Annexes 1 and 2 is tabled and placed in the Library.