President and Finance Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is delivering the Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill for the financial year 2024 in Parliament.
Sri Lanka Budget 2024: LIVE VIDEO
| To enhance government employee pay, the state's revenue must be increased, emphasizes President |
| Inefficiencies in the public sector must be eliminated. |
| President Ranil Wickremesinghe highlights need to meet state revenue needs amounting to Rs. 3,415 billion. |
| Tax revenue increase by 50 percent this year |
| President Wickremesinghe stresses the need to minimize state sector expenditure, especially with State-Owned Enterprises |
| Rs. 10,000/= increase from April 2024 for State sector employees |
| Rs. 2,500 allowance increase for pensioners monthly form April 2024 |
| Senior citizens' allowances increased to Rs. 3,000 |
| Rs. 205 billion allocated for benefit programs targeting disabled individuals, CKDU patients, and senior citizens ... |
| Rs. 50 billion allocated to assist SMEs through a loan scheme introduced by the ADB |
| Estate workers to get freehold land |
| Rs. 10 billion allocated to facilitate the development of abandoned estates and lands |
| Rs. 600 million allocated to the 'Bim Saviya' programme |
| 4 new Universities to be established soon *Seethawaka Science and Technology University *Kurunegala Technology University under the Kotalawala Defence University *Management and Technology University *International Climate Change University |
| Rs 2 billion allocated for new bridge construction |
| Govt to appointed a 25-member committee to recommend proposals for reforms for the education system |
| University of Sri Jayawardenapura - Rs. 40 million to develop laboratories and related facilities Peradeniya University - Rs. 500 million for development |
| Private institutes: SLIIT, Horizon Campus, Royal Institute and NSBM will be elevated to universities |
| 'Suraksha' student insurance scheme to be reintroduced |
| Medical tourism: 100-million-rupee allocation |
| Fisheries and Agriculture: Rs. 2,500 million allocated for development |
| North and East resettlement: 2000 million allocations |
| Development of rural roads: 2 billion rupees allocated |
| Rs. 400 million allocated for the establishment of the University of Maha Vihara |
| Rs. 30 million allocated for the the establishment of the Buddhist Research Library in Anuradhapura |
| Rs. 55 billion allocated to completing projects temporarily halted due to the economic crisis |
| Provincial and school cricket: Rs.1.5 billion allocation |
| Central expressway construction to recommence following debt restructuring completion. Kadawatha to Meerigama with China and Kurunegala to Galagedara with Janpan. |
| New investment zones: Hambantota, Jaffna, Trincomalee, Bingiriya and Kandy |
| Rs. 3 billion allocated to establish a National Center for Artificial Intelligence |
| Provincial Tourism Boards: Rs.750 million allocated |
| One billion ruppees allocated for new law adoption in the tourism sector |
| 20% of the shares of the two large state owned banks will be given to strategic investors or the public |
| The President concluded the debate by requesting all the parties of this House to join the work order to rebuild the country. "If there is a better program than ours, present it to this House in detail. Let's discuss. Let's implement the most suitable program." |
| Parliament adjourned. The debate of the second reading of the Appropriation Bill will commence on Tuesday morning |
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