News
Trade Minister: 86 percent of govt. revenue spent on public servants
Trade Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardane yesterday said that 86 percent of government tax revenue was spent on paying salaries of the public servants and there was no other means to increase their salaries without increasing taxes on the public, selling public assets or obtaining loans.
Addressing the media at the Government Information Department auditorium the Minister said the total government tax revenue last year had been Rs. 1,216 billion, while the total amount spent on government salaries and pension payments was Rs 1,052 billion. After paying the salaries and pensions of public sector workers, the remainder of the total tax revenue was only 164 billion rupees, the Minister said.
Minister Gunawardane said the pandemic had badly hit the developed, middle income and poor countries across the world alike and over four million people had died. While hunger, malnutrition and poverty had increased, it was not an easy task to maintain public finance management for any government.
The Cabinet of Ministers granted their concurrence to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Youth Affairs to appoint S. Achchudan of Special Grade of Sri Lanka Administrative Service, who is currently serving as an Additional Commissioner of Elections at the Elections Commission who is
recommended by the panel of interviewers to the post of Director General of the Sports Development Department with effect form 01.01.2026.
The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal furnished by the Minister of Environment to publish the draft bill of the National Environment (Amended) Act in the government gazette notification and subsequently to submit the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Buddhism, Religious, and Cultural Affairs to provide tax relief on imported dates received as donations or gift for Ramadan.
This year’s Ramadan fasting season is scheduled to begin on 19-02-2026 and end on 21-03-2026.
Shafali, Renuka close in on top five in ICC T20I rankings
S. Achchudan appointed as Director General of the Sports Development Department.
Amendment of the National Environment Act No. 47 of 1980
Tax relief for Dates received as donations or gifts for Ramadan
Cabinet nod to establish the Sri Lanka Industrial Transformation and innovation Authority
Temporary employment of Sri Lankan labour in the State of Israel
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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