Rehabilitated former combatants will benefit from a government program to provide low interest loans to start their livelihoods.

Rehabilitation Minister Chandrasiri Gajadeera visited the former war zone of Mullaittivu and met with ex-combatants seeking state help to rebuild their lives in an area where the final battles were fought in May 2009.

“We have given concessionary loans to 1,000 rehabilitated youth and the minister himself came to Mullaittivu to speed up the release of (further) credit,” his spokesman Iroshan Thalgaswattage said to Daily Times.

He said 10,800 ex-combatants who surrendered to troops during the final battle had completed vocational training and re-integrated in society, but some faced difficulties in raising money to start a business. Each ex-combatant is being offered 250,000 rupees ($2,000) to be repaid at a concessionary interest rate, Thalgaswattage said.

The government has spent Rs. 2.5 billion on the rehabilitation of ex-LTTE cadres since the conflict ended in May 2009.