Hon. Bimal Rathnayake

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, I believe the Hon. President’s speech today will provide detailed answers to the first supplementary. Specifically regarding the sudden rise in fuel prices, the President will announce additional fuel subsidies for fishermen. At the Cabinet meeting yesterday, we decided to provide fuel differently for large and small boats. You will learn the quantitative details from the President’s speech.

¶ 02 Secondly, for fishermen who are Samurdhi beneficiaries, we will provide a special allowance for April, which will also be detailed by the President. Furthermore, in providing subsidies, we will differentiate small and large boats based on the distances travelled. There is a special device that tracks navigation, allowing payments to be based on actual travel. Since we are disbursing public funds, accountability is necessary. Fishermen are technologically capable; I do not think submitting a bill is difficult. We are developing a QR code system, and since 32,000–38,000 small boats are registered, we have decided to issue QR codes to them. The answer also notes that building a savings habit and integrating with the formal financial system are objectives of the fuel subsidy’s safeguards. I believe the President’s speech will complete the remaining points.