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Pensioners can retire in peace with enhanced scheme
View(s):Contradicting the initial announcement of increasing anomalies from July, for those who retired before 2006, the Pensions Dept said the new Pension scheme will be added from August 10.
The directive came from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe after he directed the Treasury to release funds for this purpose, for the Pre-2006 retirees.
The Premier advised all district and divisional secretaries to issue the pension as increased according to Circular 6/2006, under the adjustment of Pension anomalies.
According to the Public Administration circular issued in this regard on June 25, these retirees will receive a pension on par with the pension scale effective January 1, 2006.
Around 330,000 retirees will benefit from this pay rise ranging from Rs 2,500 to Rs 10,000, which is estimated to cost the government Rs 1,500 million annually.
This hike in pension was drafted long before the general elections were announced, in response to longstanding requests made by pensioners through the years. Consequently, the Commissioner of Elections, in a special announcement, ruled the pay rise is neither illicit nor a violation of election law.