News
Borrowing limit increased by Rs 400 billion
by Saman Indrajith
The borrowing limit in the Appropriation Bill for this year had been increased by 400 billion rupees through an amendment approved by the Committee on Public Finance, Parliament sources said yesterday.
Sources said that an amendment to the Appropriation Act No. 07 of 2020 had been made to increase the borrowing limit from Rs. 2997 billion to Rs. 3397 billion by the Committee on Public Finance chaired by MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa.
At a virtual meeting of the Committee on Public Finance, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and the Treasury S. R. Attygalle pointed out that an amendment to the Appropriation Act was needed to increase the borrowing limit due to the economic downturn in the country caused by the Covid-19 situation. He further said it was due to the inability to achieve the expected revenue for the year 2021, the increase in supplementary expenditure and the devaluation of the rupee in the payment of foreign currency loan services, sources said.
Attygalle said the increase in welfare expenditure during the Covid-19 pandemic had led to an increase in supplementary expenditure and Rs. 200 billion had been approved by Parliament recently as supplementary expenditure. Besides this amendment, as per the Cabinet decision taken on 27.09.2021, the Gazette notification submitted by the Minister of Finance to revoke the licensing system for white sugar which came into effect from 29 October 2020 under the Import Export (Control) Act No. 01 of 1969 was approved by the Committee on Public Finance.
Dr. Harsha de Silva stated that he had repeatedly emphasised the need for a forensic report in that regard to clarify the crisis situation in the country regarding sugar. The Chairman said that the Committee on Public Finance would be able to engage in a lengthy discussion on the matter soon after it is tabled by the Committee on Public Accounts.
State Ministers Susil Premajayantha, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, Members of Parliament Dr. Harsha de Silva and Prof. Ranjith Bandara as well as a number of senior government officials were present at the recent Public Finance Committee meeting held online, Parliament sources said.
The government, under heavy Opposition fire over inclusion of a sex website in the Grade 6 English module, as well as overall education reforms, has decided to put on hold reforms in respect of Grade 6.
Cabinet Spokesman and Media and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the government decision yesterday (13) at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Information Department.
According to him, the decision had been taken at the previous day’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dr. Jayatissa said that education reforms pertaining to Garde 6 had been put on hold until 2027.
The Minister said that other proposed education reforms would be implemented as planned. The Minister said that action would be taken against those responsible for the inclusion of a link to a sex website following investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Education Institute.
The SJB and several other political parties, as well as civil society groups, have accused the government of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, through the proposed education reforms.
The Opposition grouping Mahajana Handa, on Monday, made representations to the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter regarding the controversial reforms, while urging their intervention to halt the project.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (13) vowed to go ahead with his government’s agenda, regardless of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all to contribute to the post-Ditwah recovery efforts, President Dissanayake said that he would have complete faith in the public service.
The President said so at the launch of the re-building Sri Lanka project at the BMICH yesterday.
The JVP and NPP leader said that he wouldn’t take advantage of the death and destruction caused by the cyclone or use the situation as an excuse to reverse their agenda or weaken it.
President Dissanayake said that in spite of many calling for amending the then Budget, in view of the cyclone, the government presented the proposals that were agreed before the disaster struck.
The United States has announced that it will provide the Sri Lanka Air Force with 10 US Navy TH-57 helicopters free of charge.
The announcement was made by outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung, who stated, on social media, that the helicopters would be transferred under the United States’ Excess Defence Articles programme. The aircraft are Bell 206 Sea Ranger helicopters previously operated by the US Navy.
US sources said that the transfer was intended to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster response capabilities, following the devastating cyclone that struck the island at the end of 2025 and killed more than 600 people. US officials have framed the move as a humanitarian measure aimed at improving aerial rescue and relief operations.
Showery condition over the island is expected to reduce from tomorrow (15th)
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Fair weather will prevail except for a few showers in the Uva, Eastern, Western and Central provinces and in Galle, Matara and Rathnapura districts
Trump cancels US-Iran meetings, urges protesters to take over institutions
Govt. bows to pressure, shelves Grade 6 reforms
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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