Rs. 20Bn Supplementary Estimate Approved Without Vote

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s government presented a Rs. 20 billion supplementary estimate to Parliament to provide relief to citizens affected by the economic impact of the ongoing Middle East conflict.

The proposal was approved in Parliament without a vote, signaling broad consensus on the need for urgent intervention to ease financial pressures on the public.

Addressing Parliament during the debate, Deputy Minister of Finance Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando clarified that the supplementary estimate does not involve additional government spending or new borrowing, but rather a reallocation of existing funds to meet urgent relief requirements.

“When we talk about a supplementary estimate, historically it has meant allocating additional funds, often spent based on the discretion of ministers or political interests. However, although this is termed a supplementary estimate, it is being used here to reallocate expenditure under a different head within the ministry for relief purposes. This does not increase total government spending,” he said.

He further emphasized that the measure has been structured to remain within the country’s pre-approved borrowing limits for 2026, ensuring fiscal discipline is maintained.

“Therefore, we are operating within the approved borrowing limit for 2026, which stands at Rs. 3,740 billion. We are requesting approval to proceed within that limit. As such, this will not increase debt in any way,” Dr. Fernando added.