2nd reading of 2019 budget passed

The second reading of the 2019 Budget proposal was passed in Parliament this evening with a majority of 43 votes.

A total of 119 Members of Parliament voted in favour of the 2019 Budget while 76 MPs voted against the Budget presented by Minister of Finance Mangala Samaraweera.

NewsRadio lobby correspondent said members of the United National Front and the Tamil National Alliance voted in favour of the 2019 Budget.

A group of United People’s Freedom Alliance Parliamentarians also voted in favour of the 2019 Budget. Members of the JVP and a group representing the so-called Joint Opposition voted against the Budget.

Meanwhile, 29 Members of Parliament abstained from voting during the Second reading division. The vote on the 2019 Budget was taken up in Parliament following six days of debate.

The debate on the Second reading of the Budget that commenced on the 5th of March accordingly concluded today.

The 2019 Budget proposal, “Enterprise Sri Lanka – Empowering the People and Nurturing the Poor” was presented in Parliament on the 5th of March by Minister of Finance Mangala Samaraweera.

The proposal was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers following which Minister Samaraweera delivered the fifth budget of the Good Governance Government

According to the 2019 Appropriation Bill, state expenditure has been set at 4,550 billion rupees. Total government revenue is expected to be approximately 2,390 billion rupees in 2019.

Meanwhile, the Third Reading of the 2019 Budget or the Committee Stage Debate will take place for a period of nineteen days from tomorrow.

The debate on the Third Reading of the 2019 Budget will conclude on the 5th of April, following which the Third Reading Division will take place in Parliament.

Speaking during the debate, Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa said the present government has failed the economy and thereby also failing the country.

MP Rajapaksa said the progression of domestic industries including financial institutions was severally affected due to adverse economic policies of the present administration.

Leader of the JVP Parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the country’s debt burden has sky-rocketed during the past four years.

Speaking during the Parliamentary debate on the second reading of the 2019 budget, MP Dissanayake said the present government is forced to re-take massive loans due to an unstable economy.

United People’s Freedom Alliance Parliamentarian Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said the government has put forth a budget that includes proposals aimed at elections despite various financial challenges.

Speaking during a media briefing held in Colombo MP Siyambalapitiya said there is a concern whether the government will be able to execute the proposals as promised.

Minister Rauff Hakeem however commended the government for presenting a budget which has allocated 24% of its total annual expenditure for health, education and for infrastructure projects.

Deputy Minister Nalin Bandara said the government has tabled a progressive and welfare-oriented budget that focuses on all individuals despite various social statuses.