Govt. slammed for delaying Budget-linked reports

• Opposition claims absence of reports inhibits them from fully participating in debates
  
   

Opposition lawmaker Bandula Gunawardana yesterday criticised the Government for delaying crucial reports, including the basis of expenditure and revenue targets of Budget 2019, as well as details of its policy focus, and contended the Opposition was hampered from fully participating in the ensuing debate.

Bandula Gunawardana

According to Standing Order 121 (4), the Committee on Public Finance should present within six weeks of the tabling of the Appropriation Bill, a report on the estimates, including whether the allocation of money is in compliance with the policies of the Government.

According to Standing Order 121 (5), the Committee on Public Finance should present before Parliament within four days after the presentation of the Budget and the Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill, a report on the fiscal, financial, and economic assumptions used as the basis in arriving at total estimated expenditure and revenue. AH

Highlighting the Opposition’s inability to actively take part in the Budget debate, the United People’s Freedom Alliance MP Gunawardana said: “None of these reports was presented in Parliament as per the dates mentioned.”

In response, United National Party MP Prof. Ashu Marasinghe held the reports will be submitted soon, and the delays were incurred due to obtaining translations. “This is a practical issue. The period of four days cannot be met easily. The Opposition lawmaker Bandula Gunawardane is a member of the Committee. He doesn’t take part in the Committee meetings but complains in Parliament. We received the Tamil translation on Wednesday. We can easily present the English version, if you are not in a hurry for the Sinhala and Tamil translations,” he said.

However, highlighting that the private sector analysis on the Budget is conducted within hours after presenting, and makes it available for clients on the following morning, MP Gunawardana said: “Key audit firms assess the impact from the Budget just after it is released. They print a report within a few hours, and distribute it among the clients to show the impact of the Budget proposals. If these audit firms can do this, I don’t see any reason for the Government to skip this important report.”