Dissanayake also announced a fuel subsidy for the fishing community, applicable to both multi-day and one-day vessels, ensuring that support extends to vital sectors of the economy.

In a significant move to support the agricultural and fishing sectors, Sri Lanka’s newly elected Leftist President Anura Dissanayake has instructed the treasury to reinstate subsidy programs halted by the Election Commission. Effective October 1, 2024, paddy farmers will receive an allowance of 25,000 rupees per hectare for the Maha season, which runs from September to March and coincides with the crucial northeast monsoon.

This subsidy, aimed at enhancing the livelihoods of farmers, will be directly deposited into their bank accounts, according to the president’s media division. Dissanayake also announced a fuel subsidy for the fishing community, applicable to both multi-day and one-day vessels, ensuring that support extends to vital sectors of the economy.

Former minister Kanchana Wijesekera expressed his approval, noting, “It’s good to see that schemes approved and allocated funds through the treasury… have recommenced under President Dissanayake.” The original subsidy programs were introduced in August 2024 but were put on hold by the Election Commission in the lead-up to the Presidential election.

As Dissanayake prepares for the upcoming General Election on November 14, his National People’s Power party is striving for a two-thirds majority in Sri Lanka’s Parliament. The revival of these subsidy schemes marks a critical step in addressing the needs of the agricultural and fishing communities as the nation looks towards a more stable economic future.