As envisioned in the budget-2019 proposals by the Minister of Finance Mangala Samaraweera, the Cabinet of Ministers have approved the payment of an interim monthly allowance of SLR 6000 to the families of missing persons, reports Colombo Page on September 20. These persons also include the family members of the armed forces and the Police missing in action. The Office on Missing Persons (OMP), in its interim report published in August 2018, had recommended providing interim relief to the families of missing persons who have Certificates of Absence. The 2019 Budget incorporated these recommendations. So far 656 Certificates of Absence have been issued to the families of missing persons in both the North and the South, some of whom include the families of armed forces personnel who are missing in action. In order to facilitate the speedy issuance of Certificates of Absence, Cabinet also approved the recruitment of additional officers to the Registrar General’s Department on contract basis.