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Budget 2023: Focus on welfare
By Shyam Nuwan Ganewatta
The focus of the 2023 budget was public welfare, State minister of finance, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya told The Island yesterday. The government needs to ensure that the basic needs of the people are met during this tough time, he said.
Siyambalapitiya said 70 percent of Sri Lankan families now needed government assistance. “This is a situation hitherto unseen in Sri Lanka,” he said.
“One person needs Rs. 13,000 a month to meet the most basic requirements, he said. A family of four needs Rs. 52,000 to make ends meet. Unfortunately, most families don’t even make this. We need to step into to prevent a catastrophe. We need to stabilise the country politically and economically,” he said.