Sri Lanka, Aug. 4 -- 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.

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