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Crisis did not come about due to COVID-19 pandemic, but because of ill-advised policies of Govt. says Champika

Published

6 years ago

2020/08/29

By Saman Indrajith

The SJB, on Thursday, raised questions over the government‘s use of funds for the period between April and August this year without the authorisation of Parliament.

Participating in the debate on Vote on Account, SJB Colombo District MP Champika Ranawaka said: “The Treasury Secretary issued a circular dated March 10, 2020, that the President had authorised the utilisation of funds under Article 150 (3) of the Constitution, only Parliament has the power to approve a Vote on Account.” But the SJB’s stance was that Article 150 (3) only gave powers to the President to draw funds from the Consolidated Fund for public expenses for three months from that date to the inauguration of a new Parliament.

“It does not grant him powers to draw funds or approve a VoA from the date of dissolving Parliament. The Prime Minister must clarify this in his capacity as the Finance Minister. We hope he will provide Parliament with a detailed account on State revenue during the past eight months of this year, how revenue from various taxes came to the government and the government’s recurrent expenditure before the end of the debate.”

Ranawaka said 2020 would go down as a significant year in the country’s history as there was no budget.

“A similar situation arose in 2015. This was just after a presidential election and with a general election also coming. However, the then government discussed with all parties concerned and still managed to present a Budget. This government, however, though it came to power in November last year could not present a budget this year. It relied on a Vote on Account passed by the previous government which approved funds up to April 30 this year. We now have another Vote on Account for funds from September 1 to December 31,” he said.

Opening the debate on the Vote on Account for the Opposition, the SJB MP said that the country’s present fiscal crisis had not come about due to the COVID-19 pandemic but because of the ill-advised economic and tax policies of the government.

He said the government’s tax policies implemented from December 1, 2019 had had a disastrous impact on the state revenue. Due to those policies, annual state revenue, which had been near Rs 2,000 billion during the previous government, had plummeted to about Rs 1,000 billion since last December, he said.

“The state revenue this year will be about Rs 1,100 billion, whereas the interest on loans alone is about Rs 1 trillion (Rs 1000 billion). As such, this is the first time that the country’s revenue is only enough to pay off the interest on the country’s loans,” he said.

Ranawaka pointed out that before the pandemic forced the country into lockdown, the economic growth rate during the first three months of 2020, had been –1.6%. “That was the government’s report card before COVID-19. According to the Asian Development Bank’s forecast, the economy is due to contract by 0.6% this year. The government can’t hide behind COVID-19 and claim all problems are due to it. The fact remains that the economy was in severe distress long before the pandemic came around.”

MP Ranawaka also alleged that the USD 7.2 billion foreign reserves which the previous government’s Central Bank Governor managed to build up were now being used to pay off foreign loans. He also lambasted the protectionist economic policy of the government and said that issuing a blanket ban on imports was only going to further worsen an already difficult situation. “You can’t develop local industries in this manner,” he said.

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Prime Minister of Sri Lanka holds a bilateral meeting with Minister for Education and Skills Development of Bhutan

Published

4 hours ago

2026/09/4

Priyan

On the sidelines of the inaugural Global Conscious Food Systems Summit 2026, being held in Bhutan from 31 August to 4 September 2026, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, in her capacity as Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, held a productive bilateral meeting with Yeezang De Thapa, Minister for Education and Skills Development of Bhutan, on 03 September 2026.

The discussions focused on further strengthening and expanding Sri Lanka-Bhutan cooperation in the education sector, with particular emphasis on developing mutually beneficial initiatives through enhanced Government-to-Government engagement.

Both sides underscored the importance of deepening institutional cooperation and exploring new avenues for collaboration in education, higher education and vocational training, with a view to creating greater opportunities for students, educators and academic institutions of both countries.

During the meeting, both sides agreed to initiate discussions towards the finalization and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the fields of education and vocational training. It was also agreed that the implementation of the MoU could be facilitated through the establishment of a Joint Working Group, headed at the Secretary level, with meetings to be convened annually to review progress, identify new areas of cooperation, and facilitate the effective implementation of agreed activities.

The major areas of cooperation discussed included enhancing collaboration among universities and academic institutions, promoting academic and faculty exchanges, joint research and university programmes, strengthening training and capacity-building opportunities for educators and teachers, and sharing expertise and best practices in the education and vocational training sectors.

The two sides also discussed strengthening child protection and safeguarding mechanisms, promoting ethical values among students, and addressing violence against children while ensuring their safety, protection, well-being and access to quality education.

Opportunities for Bhutanese students to pursue undergraduate studies at universities in Sri Lanka were also discussed, with particular emphasis on Dentistry, Medicine (MBBS), and allied health disciplines such as Physiotherapy. The discussions further covered opportunities for postgraduate studies in medical and health sciences at Sri Lankan universities, as well as enhanced collaboration among universities and other academic institutions of the two countries.

The meeting provided a valuable opportunity for Sri Lanka and Bhutan to advance cooperation in education and vocational training and explore new avenues for long-term collaboration for the mutual benefit of students, educators and academic institutions of both countries.

(Prime Minister’s Media Division)

News

Prime Minister Meets His Majesty the King of Bhutan

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/4

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya had an audience with His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck at the Tashichhodzong in Thimphu on September 02, during her official visit to the Kingdom of Bhutan.

The cordial discussion focused on Bhutan’s future development priorities and opportunities for cooperation between the two countries.

His Majesty expressed Bhutan’s interest in drawing on Sri Lanka’s experiences and expertise in areas relevant to its development plans. The discussion also focused on promoting investment between the two countries, including the possibility of establishing an investment zone in Bhutan.

The two sides also exchanged views on demographic challenges facing Bhutan, including the increasing migration of young people and its impact on the country’s population and future workforce.

The meeting highlighted the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation and sharing experiences and best practices in support of the sustainable development of both countries.

(Prime Minister’s Media Division)

Latest News

SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa arrested by CIABOC

Published

12 hours ago

2026/09/4

Priyan

(File pic)

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Member of Parliament Namal Rajapaksa has been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

Namal Rajapaksa had been summoned by CIABOC to provide a statement in connection with investigations into the controversial Airbus deal. He was subsequently arrested by CIABOC after recording his statement for over 5 hours.