COLOMBO, Oct. 27 -- Sri Lanka needs an updated data system for selecting eligible beneficiaries under the Aswesuma welfare scheme, the World Bank said, offering to provide the necessary technical support and international expertise for the update.

During a recent meeting with Members of Parliament and officials from the Ministry of Finance, World Bank representatives highlighted that a modernized social security data system would enable the accurate identification of genuinely poor and vulnerable individuals and families.

According to a statement issued by Parliament, the representatives pointed out that the mere inclusion of citizens' information in a database does not automatically make them eligible for Aswesuma benefits. "The data m...