Govt aims to solve housing issue in 5 to 10 years: Minister Samarasinghe

Colombo, August 4 (Daily Mirror) - Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe says the government is committed to resolving Sri Lanka’s longstanding housing crisis within the next five to ten years.

Speaking at a housing aid distribution programme in Anuradhapura on Saturday (3), the Minister said the initiative includes providing low-interest loans to public sector employees for new home construction or renovation.

Minister Samarasinghe emphasised that a transparent selection process will be used to identify eligible beneficiaries—marking a shift from what he described as politically driven practices under previous administrations.

He also criticised the former government for allegedly spending Rs. 520 million solely on housing-related publicity campaigns. 

“That was public money wasted. We are now focused on delivering real support,” he said.

According to the Minister, the current programme has already supported 140 individuals, with more than 100 people receiving low-interest loans and over 80 state employees each being granted Rs. 1 million in housing loans.