Dr. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said that another Rs. 3,000 will be added to the Rs.2,500 allowance given to pensioners in September, providing them an interim allowance of Rs. 5,500.
According to the instructions of the President, an expert committee headed by U.R. Seneviratne was recently appointed and based on the reviews,
this interim allowance will be provided to retired public servants until the revised salary structure is implemented from 2025, the State Minister said. Dr. Siyambalapitiya said that around 700,000 people receive pensions, and the Government will have to bear an additional expenditure of Rs. 8.4 billion for the provision of this interim allowance this year.
He said that it is a quick short-term solution given by the Government considering the financial difficulties faced by retired public servants.
