The Department of Debt Conciliation Board was established under the Department of Debt Conciliation Ordinance No.39 of 1941 with the objective of introducing relief measures to save the people from indebtedness, those who are indebted on unsecured loans obtained on documents such as promissory notes, cheques etc. or secured loans obtained on Conditional Transfers or mortgages of immovable property such as land, paddy fields, plantations or housing property.  

The extent of services provided by the department has now been limited to Colombo, and under the rearrangements, steps would be taken to centralize the services for the identified districts. Galle, Gampaha, Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Hambantota, Kandy, and Kegalle districts will be covered under the new program.

Ministry of Justice has also focused its attention towards making it compulsory to obtain the property valuations only from the Valuation Department, and also to revise the Debt Conciliation Board Act.

In 2015 the department has received 788 complaints seeking relief and 179 of them have been solved.