Discussion held to find solutions to problems facing pensioners successful: Forum of Assistant Secretaries

A discussion was held at the Ministry of Finance and Mass Media centred around the problems facing pensioners, between two delegations headed by Thusitha Haloluwa, Coordinating Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Mass Media Mangala Samaraweera and the Forum of Assistant Secretaries (Labour Relations) yesterday at the Ministry premises, organized by the forum yesterday (12).

D.B. Tilakaratna, Vice President of the forum thanked the Minister of Finance and Mass Media Mangala Samaraweera and his Coordinating Secretary Thusitha Haloluwa for extending the facility of providing another set of Free Railway Warrants to pensioners instead of the two sets of warrants available before.

He said that there was a pension anomaly for pensioners according to Circular No: 6/2006 and the government had given a solution to this problem. A salary increase of Rs. 10000/- to be paid in four annual instalments up to 2020 according to Circular No: 3/2016. According to ratio of 1:4, Officers of higher rank in the government service will get Rs. 40,000/- by 2020. It is a great benefit to retired government officers after 2016. Agrahara Insurance entitlements had not been given to the retired officers before the 1st of January 2016 and he promised to take a decision on this matter without delay. At present there are 650,000 pensioners with over 2 million dependants.

This discussion was organized by the Forum of Assistant Secretaries (Labour Relations) including Deputy President S.J.M. Wijesooriya, Vice President, B.D. Tilakaratna, Vice President W.R. Dharmabandu, Vice President M.N. Withanachchi, Former General Secretary of the National Education Union R.M.T.B. Ratnayaka and Assistant Secretary of the National Pensioners’ Union M.W. Thilakaratna also participated at this discussion.