Government pensioners to receive interim payment of Rs. 3000 starting September
State Minister for Finance Dr.Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said that steps have been taken to provide an interim allowance of Rs 5,500 to all pensioners in government service, adding Rs 3,000 to the current allowance of Rs 2,500.
According to the instructions of His Excellency the President, The minister further mentioned that an expert committee headed by Mr. U. R. Seneviratne was recently appointed and based on the reviews, they will provide this interim allowance to the retired public servants, til the revised salary structure is implemented from 2025.
The minister pointed out that there are currently around 7 lakh government pensioners receiving pension and accordingly the government will incur an additional expenditure of Rs 8.4 billion to provide this interim payment in 2024.
The minister also said that the move was taken as a quick short-term solution by the government considering the financial constraints that retired civil servants are currently facing despite the challenges in debt management.
Meanwhile, a special meeting was held between Minister Siambalapitiya and officials of the Joint National Organization of Government Pensioners this morning (02) and a discussion was also held regarding increasing the interest rate of senior citizens by eliminating pension discrepancies.
State Minister for Finance Dr. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya announced an interim allowance of Rs 5,500 for all government pensioners, increasing the current allowance from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,500. This decision was made by an expert committee appointed by the President, which will provide the interim payment until a revised salary structure is implemented in 2025. This move is expected to benefit around 7 lakh government pensioners and will cost the government an additional Rs 8.4 billion in 2024. The decision was made to address the financial challenges faced by retired civil servants. Additionally, discussions were held about increasing the interest rate for senior citizens and eliminating pension discrepancies.
