Balance of COVID-19 Fund reaches Rs.1,128mn

The balance of COVID-19 Healthcare and Social Security Fund reached Rs.1,128 million today, the President’s Media Division said. It said the staff of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs has handed over Rs.2, 205,448.89 to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat, today. Minister Mahinda Amaraweera donated his full salary for the month of May to the COVID-19 Fund. Attorney General Dappula de Livera handed over Rs.1, 326,449.00 collected by the Legal Officers’ Association of the Attorney General’s Department, to the President. Additional Solicitor General Sumathi Dharmawardena, Senior Additional Solicitor General Sarath Jayamanne, Deputy Solicitor General Thusith Mudalige and State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne also participated on this occasion. The Thambuththegama Govijana Organization has donated Rs.200,000. The Government Schools Dental Therapists Association and St. Paul’s Girls School, Milagiriya handed over Rs.500,000 and Rs.225,000 respectively to President Rajapaksa for the benefit of the Fund. The other donations made to the Fund included Rs.100,000 by the Sri Lanka Air Force Ex- Servicemen’s Association, Rs. 1 million by Major A.U. Tissa Aluwihare, Rs.5, 042,242.56 by Ceylon Bank Employees Union (Regional Development Bank Branch), Rs.3 million by BOI, Rs.700,000 by AIA Insurance PLC Ltd, Rs.5,000 by Mr. D.M. Padmasiri, Rs.44,864 by Mr. E.B.P. Abeysekara, Rs.500,000 by Mr. Rajiv Jayaweera as direct deposit, Rs.1,992,900.00 by Nokia Oyj, Finlanda, Rs. 5,000,000.00 by Sri Lankan Bankers’ Association while newly appointed Ambassador to Germany Manori P. Unambuwa donated one month’s salary of Rs. 89,195.00. Recent donations to the Fund also included Rs. 4,670,225.00 by Tianjin Rockcheck Puji Foundation of China, Rs. 1 million by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka, Rs.1,305,736.25 by Jinasena Industrial Parks (Pvt) Ltd, Rs. 37,490,337.50 by China Merchant’s Charitable Foundation and Rs. 100,000 by Mercantile Shipping Company PLC. The PMD said all the donations will be credited to the special account opened under the number 85737373 at the Corporate Branch of the Bank of Ceylon. “Local as well as foreign donors have made their contributions to the Fund. Donations to COVID-19 Healthcare and Social Security Fund have been exempted from taxes and foreign exchange regulations. Deposits can be made through cheques or telegraphic transfers,” it said.