Presidential Task Force appointed to steer post-Ditwah recovery and rebuilding

Prime Minister to chair Task Force comprising Ministers, bureaucrats and private sector professionals

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PRESIDENT Anura Kumara Dissanayake has established a high-level Presidential Task Force to oversee Sri Lanka's post-disaster rehabilitation, recovery, and reconstruction efforts following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah, according to an Extraordinary Gazette issued on Wednesday.

The World Bank has estimated initial damages at $4.1 billion and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates the total cost could reach $16 billion. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects the Balance of Payments (BOP) deficit to widen by an additional $ 700 million and granted a $ 206 million Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI).

The Task Force has been constituted under Article 33 of the Constitution and is mandated to provide strategic leadership, inter-ministerial coordination, and oversight of all recovery initiatives under the Government's 'Rebuilding Sri Lanka'program, at a time when post-disaster financing, donor coordination, and fiscal discipline remain critical.

The Task Force will be chaired by Prime Minister and Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, with responsibility for guiding recovery priorities, resolving cross-ministerial issues, and overseeing major funding, rehabilitation, and reconstruction decisions.