Sri Lanka's Defence Ministry is considering combining the 'Api Wenuwen Api' Fund and the National Security Fund into a unified framework to improve welfare services for military personnel and war veterans.
The government is exploring a significant restructuring of its veteran support mechanisms, according to Deputy Minister of Defence Retired Major General Aruna Jayasekara. Speaking in Parliament, he outlined plans to merge the 'Api Wenuwen Api' Fund with the National Security Fund into a single consolidated welfare system intended to deliver more effective assistance to former service members and their families.
Jayasekara explained that the two funds currently address overlapping objectives related to national security and veteran welfare. Merging them would create a stronger administrative framework with enhanced capacity to serve beneficiaries. He noted that the Board of Management of the National Security Fund has already received instructions to discuss the proposal, signaling that formal deliberations on the restructuring have begun.
The Deputy Minister also drew attention to deteriorating conditions in several Raaviru (war hero) settlements across the country. He stated that infrastructure development in these villages has stalled for over a decade, leaving many communities without adequate water supply, electricity, and road connectivity. As a result, numerous partially completed houses remain abandoned by their intended beneficiaries. The government is now examining ways to allocate available resources toward rehabilitating these settlements and expanding financial relief programs for veterans struggling with loan obligations from financial institutions.
During the parliamentary exchange, opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Ajith P. Perera raised broader questions about conflict prevention and development initiatives in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, citing recent agreements with India aimed at creating economic opportunities. However, Jayasekara responded that such matters fall outside the scope of the veteran welfare fund discussion, stating that security and reconciliation initiatives operate through separate administrative channels.
