With the decentralization of all operations of the President’s Fund to Divisional Secretariats, the number of applications received has seen a significant increase. In line with this development, the need has arisen to educate and train the relevant staff of Divisional Secretariats on the newly introduced computer-based online system.
As a key next step, a special training program has been scheduled for officers handling President’s Fund matters in the Galle, Matara, and Hambantota districts of the Southern Province. This session will be held on July 5, 2025, at the Matara District Secretariat.
The primary objectives of this program include increasing the number of beneficiaries in the Southern Province, enhancing the quality of services provided, introducing a modernized online system, and equipping staff with the necessary knowledge and skills to deliver more efficient services.
Guided by the vision of the current President, the overarching goal of the President’s Fund is to transform what was once a centrally managed initiative in Colombo—benefiting only a limited group—into a true people’s fund that reaches citizens across the country. Similar training programs have already been conducted in the Western and Northern Provinces and are planned for other regions in the near future.
The President’s Fund, established for the people, continues to provide vital financial assistance to artists during their most critical times of need. Recently, financial support was extended to veteran vocalist Ishak Mohideen Beg for his upcoming medical treatments.
The event was attended by Hon. (Dr.) H.D. Sunil Senewiratne, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, along with several others.
Three hundred students from the Northern Province who excelled in all subject streams of the 2023 G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) Examination will each receive a grant of Rs. 100,000 from the President’s Fund.
As part of a newly launched initiative to honour high-performing students at the district level for the 2023/2024 G.C.E. A/L Examination, the President’s Fund hosted an award ceremony this morning (22) at the Iranamadu Nelum Piyasa Auditorium in the Northern Province.
During the event, 300 students from the districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya, specifically 60 students per district, with the top 10 students from each subject stream, were recognised and presented with financial awards for their outstanding academic performance. The President’s Fund has allocated a total of Rs. 30 million for this initiative, which is expected to be extended to all districts in the future.
Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President, addressed the gathering and noted that following the formation of the new government, the President’s Fund has been restructured and expanded under the leadership of President Anura Kumara Disanayaka. He emphasised that the Fund now operates with increased transparency, correcting past irregularities to ensure benefits are directed to the truly deserving. Dr. Kumanayake also mentioned ongoing efforts to digitise the Fund and decentralise its services to improve accessibility and efficiency.
He further highlighted that education is the key to a successful life and urged the students to take full advantage of the support provided, pursue academic excellence, become responsible citizens and contribute positively to the country’s development.
Also addressing the event were Speaker (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne and Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Ramalingam Chandrasekar.
A vote of thanks was delivered by Abhishek, a student from Jaffna Hindu College, who expressed heartfelt appreciation to the President and the President’s Fund. He described the programme as a valuable opportunity for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue higher education and achieve their goals.
In attendance at the ceremony were Northern Province Governor Nagalingam Vethanayahan, Deputy Minister of Cooperative Development Upali Samarasinghe, Members of Parliament K. Ilankumaran, Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy and M. Jagadeeswaran, along with other public representatives. Also present were Mr. Roshan Gamage, Senior Additional Secretary to the President and Secretary of the President’s Fund, senior officials from the Fund, government officers, heads of security forces, parents and students.
The official launch of providing all services of the President’s Fund through Divisional Secretariats across the island took place this morning (21) at the Kilinochchi District Secretariat.
Coinciding with the launch, a special training workshop for officials in the Northern Province was held at the same venue, as part of a series of workshops aimed at decentralising the President’s Fund operations to grassroots level.
Since 7 February this year, applications for medical assistance from the President’s Fund have been accepted through all Divisional Secretariats across the country. Following the successful implementation of this programme, steps have now been taken to extend digital access to all other services offered by the Fund.
Accordingly, the public can now apply online for a range of services including poverty alleviation assistance, educational scholarships, recognition for academic excellence, support for individuals with special needs, aid for children affected by the human-elephant conflict, recognition for national and public service and emergency or disaster relief. This marks the first time in the Fund’s 47-year history that services, previously limited to Colombo, are accessible via any Divisional Secretariat nationwide.
This advancement follows a decision made by the Board of Governors of the President’s Fund, chaired by the President. It is expected to improve efficiency, expand access to a wider population and minimise opportunities for misuse.
Senior Additional Secretary to the President and Secretary of the President’s Fund, Mr Roshan Gamage, briefed attendees on the Fund’s responsibilities and range of services.
As part of the government’s digitalisation drive, the official rollout of online services of the President’s Fund also took place during the event.
Minister of fisheries, aquatic and ocean resources Mr Ramalingam Chandraseker, Northern Province Governor Mr Nagalingam Vethanayahan, the Kilinochchi and Jaffna District Secretaries, other senior government officials from the Northern Province, regional officers of the President’s Fund and its administrative staff were present at the occasion.
A programme to recognise high-achieving students who excelled in the recent 2023/2024 G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) examination at district level has been launched by the President’s Fund. The inaugural ceremony will take place tomorrow (22) in Kilinochchi, under the patronage of Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne.
As part of this initiative, 60 outstanding students from each district, demonstrating exceptional merit across all subject streams in the 2023/2024 G.C.E. A/L examination, will be selected to receive financial scholarships and certificates.
The first phase of this province-based programme will be held tomorrow in Kilinochchi. High-achievers from the Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya districts who excelled in the 2023 G.C.E. A/L examination will be honoured at the event.
The President’s Fund is currently making arrangements to recognise similarly accomplished students in other districts in due course.
The President’s Fund has organized a provincial-level awards programme to honour outstanding students who excelled in the 2023/2024 GCE Advanced Level (A/L) examinations at the district level.
Under this initiative, 60 top-performing students from each district selected based on exceptional results across all subject streams will receive financial scholarships and certificates of achievement.
The selection process is conducted in collaboration with the Department of Examinations and the University Grants Commission (UGC), using official results published for the 2023/2024 exams.
The first phase of this programme will recognize distinguished students from the Northern Province who achieved top results in the 2023 A/L examinations. The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in Kilinochchi on June 22, 2025, with all preparations now finalized.
Accordingly, the exceptional students from the districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya who performed remarkably in the 2023 GCE Advanced Level Examination will be honoured at the event.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway to hold award ceremonies in the other provinces shortly as well.
The acceptance of applications for medical assistance under the President’s Fund through Divisional Secretariats island wide commenced on February 7. Following the successful implementation of that initiative, preparations have now been completed to expand the digital system to include all other services offered by the Fund.
Accordingly, the public will be able to apply online via any Divisional Secretariat across the country for a wide range of services provided under the President’s Fund. These include assistance for poverty alleviation, provision of educational scholarships, recognition of students demonstrating academic excellence, support for individuals with special needs, relief assistance for children affected by wild elephant conflict, recognition of individuals for their national service or contributions to the country, Emergency and disaster relief.
This digital transformation marks a significant milestone, as it enables people across Sri Lanka to access services of the President’s Fund from anywhere in the country for the first time in its 47-year history, which had previously been limited to Colombo-based operations.
This move comes as a result of a decision taken by the Board of Governors of the President’s Fund, chaired by the President. It is expected to broaden access to assistance for a larger number of beneficiaries while also minimizing opportunities for misuse of the Fund.
With the decentralisation of the activities of the President’s Fund to District Secretariat offices, there has been a notable increase in the number of medical assistance applications received.
Consequently, it has become essential to familiarise relevant staff at these offices with the newly introduced computerised online system and to provide them with the necessary training.
As part of this initiative, a training programme has been organised for 21 June 2025 at the Kilinochchi District Secretariat. This session is intended for District Secretaries and subject officers handling matters related to the President’s Fund in the districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya in the Northern Province.
The primary objective of the programme is to enhance the knowledge and skills of the officials, thereby increasing the number of beneficiaries in the Northern Province, delivering higher quality services, introducing the updated online system and ensuring more efficient and responsive service delivery.
A key priority of the current President and the administration is to transform the President’s Fund, which was previously limited to a small group of recipients in Colombo, into a truly national initiative that benefits people throughout the country. In line with this vision, similar training programmes are expected to be implemented in other provinces in the near future.
• Remain Committed to Expanding the Services of the President’s Fund for Underprivileged Patients – Secretary to the President
A special training workshop was held today (17) at the President’s Media Centre (PMC) for officials in charge of implementing activities related to the President’s Fund across Divisional Secretariats in the Western Province.
The programme aimed to further enhance the decentralization of the services of the President’s Fund at the divisional level. This workshop brought together subject officers from all Divisional Secretariats in the Colombo, Kalutara and Gampaha districts, with a focus on strengthening their practical knowledge and operational capacity in delivering services through the President’s Fund.
Media Advisor to the President Mr. Chandana Sooriyabandara addressed the participants, highlighting the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships between public servants and the general public.
The session also covered critical areas such as information security in the computer system, the step-by-step process of handling medical aid applications from submission to approval as well as common challenges faced by officers while operating the system. Practical and theoretical training was provided on integrating the system with the Fund’s procedures at each Divisional Secretariat.
Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake emphasized that the primary mission of the President’s Fund is to serve the most vulnerable individuals. He noted that decentralizing operations to the Divisional Secretariat level has significantly expanded access, allowing more people to obtain assistance conveniently.
Dr. Kumanayake further stated that he believes all state officials now understand the importance of this service and that the success of government programmes on behalf of the people depends on the cooperation of all stakeholders. He also stressed that the annual funds received by the President’s Fund must be directed to benefit the underprivileged, particularly patients in need of medical aid and urged continued commitment to expanding these services.
At present, more than a thousand applications have been registered in the President’s Fund computer system through Divisional Secretariat offices, with approximately 40% of these applications being submitted via the Divisional Secretariats in the Western Province, stated the Secretary of the President’s Fund and Senior Additional Secretary to the President Mr. Roshan Gamage.
Mr. Roshan Gamage further highlighted since the commencement of the decentralization of the President’s Fund to the Divisional Secretariat offices on 7th February 2025, approximately 80% of the applications currently being received have come through these Divisional Secretariat offices.
The workshop concluded with the presentation of certificates of appreciation to participating officers from the Divisional Secretariats.
Senior Assistant Secretaries to the President, Mr. P.H. Kolambage and Mr. P.R. Prasad Perera, Chief Accountant of the President’s Fund Mr. D.A.M. Wickramaratne, Assistant Secretary to the President Ms. Ushani Rathnayake and staff of the President’s Fund were present at the occasion.
Funds from the President’s Fund for Kotmale Bus Accident Victims to Be Distributed Through Divisional Secretariats
Under the instructions of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the financial assistance allocated from the President’s Fund for the victims of the recent bus accident in the Garandiella area of Kotmale will be forwarded to the relevant Divisional Secretariats.
Accordingly, a sum of Rs. 1 million will be provided for each individual who lost their life in the accident, and the money will be handed over to the respective family members of the deceased.
The funds have been released to the Divisional Secretariats of Tissamaharama, Lunugamvehera, Welimada, Haldummulla, Ella, Kundasale, Bamunakotuwa, Paduwasnuwara West, Polpithigama, Wanathavilluwa, Chilaw, Buttala, Thanamalwila, Wellawaya, Kanthale, and Rambewa—areas where the 22 deceased individuals resided.
