10 June 2017 08:17 am
In response to a question asked by JVP MP Sunil Handunhetti, he said this amount could be recovered from the Insurance Trust Fund (ITF).
“You said Rs.8 billion was needed to repair the damage caused by the floods and landslides and we want you to clarify whether the ITF will reimburse this amount. There are doubts about the reimbursement because the government has not paid the premium," Mr. Handunetti told the minister.
The minister confirmed that the ITF would reimburse the entire amount. “We have already received an advance payment of Rs.150 million,” he said.
The minister admitted that the loss of life and property could have been mitigated to a large extent if the Doppler Radar System had not been damaged a few months before the catastrophe.
He said Japan had assured us it would provide two Doppler Radar Systems free of charge. (Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana)