The Cabinet has approved the establishment of the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, aimed at rebuilding the country following the extensive damage caused by Cyclone Ditwa, one of the most severe natural disasters in recent Sri Lankan history.
The Fund will be set up as a statutory fund under the Presidential Secretariat, with a Management Committee comprising representatives from both the government and private sectors.
Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, will serve as Chairman, while G.M.R.D. Aponso, Senior Additional Secretary to the President, will act as Convener of the Committee.
Other Committee members include the President’s Special Representative for Foreign Investment, Western Province Governor Hanif Yusuf, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma (Secretary to the Ministry of Finance), Duminda Hulangamuwa (Senior Economic Advisor to the President), Sugishwara Gunawardena (Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and senior private sector representatives such as Mohan Pandithage (Helis Group), Krishan Balendran (John Keells), Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake (Aitken Spence), Ashraf Omar (Brandex), and Ishara Nanayakkara (LOLC).
The Management Committee will be responsible for assessing needs, setting priorities, allocating funds, and overseeing approved recovery activities, ensuring full transparency in financial management and auditing.
Donors can contribute to the fund in Sri Lankan Rupees or foreign currencies through designated bank accounts, including local accounts at the Bank of Ceylon and foreign currency accounts at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka in USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, and AUD.
