Sri Lanka’s 80th Budget Targets Finance, Health, and Defense

COLOMBO (News 1st); The 2026 National Budget, the second budget presented by the current administration, will be tabled in Parliament tomorrow at 1:30 PM by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who also serves as the Minister of Finance.

This marks the 80th budget in Sri Lanka’s history and outlines a total estimated government expenditure of Rs. 4,434 billion for the upcoming fiscal year.

The Appropriation Bill, which includes detailed allocations for ministries and departments, was previously presented to Parliament on October 26 by Acting Finance Minister Prof. Anil Jayantha .

Here are the key allocations:

Finance Ministry: Rs. 634 billion 
Provincial Councils & Local Government: Rs. 618 billion
Public Administration Ministry: Rs. 596 billion
Health & Mass Media Ministry: Rs. 554 billion
Defense Ministry: Rs. 455 billion
Education, Higher Education & Vocational Training: Rs. 301 billion

What is the Budget Timeline?

Second Reading Debate: November 7–14 , Six days a week.

Second Reading Vote: November 14 at 6:00 PM

Committee Stage Debate: November 15 – December 5 (17 days including 3 Saturdays)

Third Reading Vote: December 5 at 6:00 PM

This budget is expected to reflect the administration’s priorities in economic recovery, social welfare, education, and public sector reform.