News
Verité Research reveals lack of progress information on 2023 Budget proposals
Independent think tank providing strategic analysis for Asia in the areas of economics, politics, law, and media, Verité Research, has found that 89% of the highest-value expenditure proposals from the 2023 Budget lacked progress information, amounting to a total of LKR 43.8 billion out of the allocated LKR 49.3 billion.
The findings, contained in Verité Research’s latest end-year budget promises assessment, which evaluated progress up to 31 December 2023, indicated that in 2022, progress was unknown on proposals that had 93% of allocated funds. The last two years, since 2017, have been the two worst in terms of available information on the highest value budget proposals.
Looking at the number rather than the value of the 25 proposals, information was available to assess the progress of 18 proposals (72%). This marks a notable improvement from 2022, which saw an all-time low in information disclosure — only 29% of the proposals (7 out of 24) could be evaluated for progress based on the information provided. However, the 18 proposals with progress information available for 2023 amounted to only LKR 5.4 billion, just 11% of the total allocation.
Visibility is particularly low around budgeted social welfare payments, which received the highest allocations as budget proposals in the last two years: LKR 26.8 billion in 2022 and LKR 43 billion in 2023. In both years, the government failed to disclose information on the progress of these proposals.
This deficiency in information is also evident from Sri Lanka’s score in the Open Budget Survey (OBS). The budget transparency score (based on availability, substance, and timeliness) was 37 out of 100 in 2023, well below the global average of 45. The OBS is the world’s only independent, comparative assessment of public access to central government budget information.
By the number of proposals, only 16% (4 out of 25) were fully implemented in 2023. An example of non-implementation is the budget proposal to spend LKR 500 million to improve child nutrition. The Ministry of Finance (MoF) informed Verité Research that the Ministry of Health (MoH) was responsible for implementing this proposal. The MoH, in response to an RTI request on this proposal, stated that it had submitted a proposal requesting funds from the National Budget Department of the MoF but had not received the funds.
A heated argument broke out between Jaffna District MP Archchuna Ramanathan and Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar during the Kilinochchi District Coordination Committee meeting held yesterday (16).
A video footage of the incident shows the MP and the Minister engaging in a heated verbal exchange, following which a physical confrontation appeared to develop when the Minister attempted to grab files reportedly in the possession of MP Ramanathan.
“If you lay a hand on me, I’ll lay a hand on you too… got it?” Ramanathan is heard telling the Minister during the exchange.
Police and officials present at the meeting intervened to prevent the situation from escalating further.
The circumstances that led to the confrontation were not immediately clear.
Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has filed an intervening petition before the Court of Appeal in connection with a petition filed by former head of the State Intelligence Service, Major General (Retired) Suresh Sallay, challenging his arrest and detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act over investigations into the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
The Cardinal has sought permission from the court to make submissions in relation to Sallay’s petition and requested that it be dismissed.
The Colombo High Court yesterday fixed for Aug. 31 the pre-trial conference in the money laundering case filed by the Attorney General against former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, and his great-aunt Daisy Forrest.
The case was taken up before Colombo High Court Judge Rashmi Singappuli.
State Counsel Oswald Perera requested court to fix a date for the pre-trial conference and informed the judge that the prosecution would announce its position regarding the second accused, Daisy Forrest, at the conference. He also said the prosecution intended to notify court of amendments to the indictment.
After considering the submissions, Judge Singappuli ordered that the pre-trial conference be held on Aug. 31.
The Attorney General has indicted Yoshitha Rajapaksa and Daisy Forrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, alleging that they deposited nearly Rs. 59 million in bank accounts knowing, or having reason to believe, that the funds had been unlawfully acquired.
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