Govt. plans to amalgamate NDF and ‘Api Wenuwen Api’ Fund

Discussions are underway to integrate the National Defence Fund and the ‘Api Wenuwen Api’ Fund. The Defence Ministry said yesterday that this was discussed at the Presidential Secretariat, under the Chairmanship of Deputy Minister of Defence Major General (retd.) Aruna Jayasekara.

The Ministry said the focus was on the appointment of an expert committee to study the possibility of integrating the National Defence Fund and the ‘Api Wenuwen Api’ Fund and other special welfare programmes implemented for the Tri-Services.

The proposed initiative is expected to streamline the provision of assistance through the aforementioned funds while expanding the number of members of the armed forces and their families eligible to receive such welfare benefits.

In addition, the possibility of providing financial assistance to members of the armed forces to settle loans obtained from financial institutions was discussed. Preliminary discussions were also held on identifying feasible mechanisms and an institutional framework to provide such assistance.