The Tsunami affected Hambantota district has recorded the highest percentage in the repayment of housing loans by the borrowers in March and April, according to the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA). In March and April the progress of recovery of repayment instalments in Hambantota has surpassed 100 per cent.

This was revealed at a meeting held recently at Hambantota NHDA District Office to commend the staff for the success achieved by them.

NHDA General Manager, Piyal Ganepola at this meeting said, "The people of Hambantota had the bitter experience of enormous devastation to life and property. With the assistance of local and foreign donors the reconstruction is now been carried out. Despite the disruption caused to their livelihood and existence, the people of Hambantota have been exemplary to other districts by making the repayment instalment due to NHDA in full in last two months for which they should be commended. The proceeds from the recovery of housing loans will be used by the NHDA as a revolving fund to grant loans to other homeless families in the same district. Notwithstanding the tendency for default of repayment in the recent past due to Tsunami and the April new year season, success achieved in recovering the loan instalment was possible due the cooperation of borrowers and the NHDA staff of Hambantota."

For last two decades the accumulated arrears of loan repayment instalment throughout the country as defaulted payments due to NHDA amounts to around Rs. 3,000 million.

The more it is recovered the higher will be the capability for NHDA to cater to the housing requirements of other homeless sections of the society. Therefore the NHDA is making every possible effort to recover the dues throughout island including North and East provinces.

Apart from the tsunami affected, the NHDA is implementing loans programmes to assist the other sections too to achieve their housing objectives. International organizations such as KFW and GTZ of Germany having confidence in NHDA for its experience on housing development for the last 25 years, have joined hands with it in tsunami housing reconstruction.