News
Ranil makes TNA an offer it can’t refuse
By Saman Indrajith
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) supported Budget 2023 because President Ranil Wickremesinghe had shown a desire to resolve the Tamil National Question, MP M. A. Sumanthiran told Parliament on Wednesday.
“I wish to clarify what we did at the vote on Tuesday evening, I did explain right at the end of my speech, nevertheless, time was insufficient so therefore I’d like to say that right through the debate on the 2nd reading, all members of the Tamil National Alliance criticised the budget. Every one of us for various reasons, I don’t need to repeat that. And ordinarily, we would have had to therefore vote against the budget at the second reading,” he said.
However, the TNA took a decision not to cast our votes against the budget at the 2nd reading because the President has on numerous occasions in the last few days, the last 10 days, repeatedly said that he wants to resolve the Tamil National Question. And has invited the Tamil Parties to have discussions with him,” Sumanthiran said.
He said while they have publicly expressed our skepticism about this invitation, when there is a hand that is stretched out from the President himself, the TNA thought they must reciprocate in some way.
“Therefore we did not vote against the budget as a signal of our bona fides in this matter.,” Sumanthiran said.
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted to the preparation of the Appropriation Bill for the financial year of 2027 at their meeting held on 30.06.2026.
Accordingly, clearance of the Attorney General has been given to the Appropriation Bill prepared by the Legal Draftsman.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to publish the aforementioned draft bill in the government gazette notification and thereby submit the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
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Cabinet approves aditional Rs. 2,500 million to the Paddy Marketing Board to purchase 2026 Yala harvest
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation to provide an additional Rs. 2,500 million to the Paddy Marketing Board on a reimbursable basis from the Rs. 7,500 million additional allocations granted to the Ministry to implement
the expedited paddy purchasing program for the 2026 Yala harvest.
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Cabinet nod to host the 8th Asian Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the 3rd Joint Asian and South-East Asian Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
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Approximately 90 delegates including speakers, Deputy Speakers, Member of Parliamentarians, and Parliamentary officers representing member countries of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, in the Asian and South-East Asian regions, are expected to participate in these conferences.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Prime Minister of the Parliament of Sri Lanka to host the said conferences considering the opportunities to strengthen parliamentary diplomacy and regional cooperation, as well as to enhance international recognition of the Parliament of Sri Lanka within the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
Draft of the Appropriation Bill for the Financial Year 2027 su mitted to the Parliament
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