Appropriation Bill presented in P’ment

By Ashwin Hemmathagama

– Our Lobby Correspondent

The Appropriation Bill to provide for the services of the 2019 financial year was presented yesterday in Parliament.

Finance and Mass Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera moved the motion seeking House approval to raise and spend Rs. 4.376 trillion in 2019 to meet capital as well as recurrent expenses of the Government, setting the borrowing limit at Rs.1.944 trillion. Compared to the 2018 Appropriation Bill, it is an increase of Rs. 394 billion.

The highest recurrent allocation of Rs. 288.6 billion is for the Ministry of Public Administration, Management and Law and Order and the lowest of Rs. 243 million is for the Ministry of Petroleum Resources Development.

However, with the motion moved, Chief Opposition Whip, JVP leader Anura Dissanayake, challenged the technicalities of the Appropriation Bill 2019, highlighting that the Government had failed to maintain the 30-day mandatory vacuum before presenting the Budget Speech, which is scheduled for 5 November.

The Appropriation Bill 2019, gazetted on 21 September 2018, seeks passage to authorise the raising of loans within or outside Sri Lanka for the purpose of such service; to make financial provision in respect of certain activities of the Government during that financial year; to enable the payment by way of advances out of the Consolidated Fund or any other fund or moneys, of or at the disposal of the Government, of moneys required during that financial year for expenditure on such activities; to provide for the refund of such moneys to the Consolidated Fund and to make provision for matters connected therewith.

The debate on the Second Reading of the Budget will commence following the Minister’s speech, which is scheduled for 5 November and will continue for five days followed by the Committee Stage process. The third and final Reading Division of Budget 2018 will be taken up during the first week of December.

Ministry Recurrent Rs. Capital Rs.

Ministry of Public Administration, Management & Law and Order 288,628,000,000 6,524,000,000

Ministry of Defence 274,667,000,000 31,451,000,000

Ministry of Provincial Councils, Local Government and Sports 193,960,025,000 51,691,775,000

Ministry of Health, Nutrition & Indigenous Medicine 143,625,998,000 41,856,400,000

Ministry of Finance & Mass Media 84,498,965,000 85,383,380,000

Ministry of Social Empowerment 64,714,000,000 1,305,000,000

Ministry of Education 60,700,000,000 44,300,000,000

Ministry of Agriculture 53,202,676,000 9,928,350,000

Ministry of Higher Education and Cultural Affairs 50,560,000,000 32,940,000,000

Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation 32,916,950,000 36,261,000,000

Ministry of Home Affairs 28,903,000,000 21,236,000,000

Ministry of Social Welfare & Primary Industries 17,634,000,000 2,589,000,000

Ministry of Justice & Prison Reforms 16,126,815,000 2,901,000,000

Ministry of Posts, Postal Services and Muslim Religious Affairs 13,106,750,000 465,200,000

Ministry of Foreign Affairs 10,744,000,000 684,200,000

Ministry of Science, technology, Research, Skills Development & Vocational Training and Kandyan heritage 8,517,000,000 7,890,000,000

Ministry of Women & Child Affairs 7,388,104,000 1,665,090,000

Ministry of Lands & Parliamentary Reforms 6,011,790,000 3,329,860,000

Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs 5,942,895,000 52,460,612,000

Ministry of Mahaweli Development and environment 5,845,380,000 36,173,330,000

Ministry of Internal Affairs and Wayamba Development 5,826,540,000 1,922,775,000

Ministry of Irrigation and water Resources & Disaster Management 4,876,260,000 33,506,740,000

Ministry of Youth Affairs, Project Management & Southern Development 4,240,667,000 4,316,550,000

Ministry of Plantation Industries 3,260,000,000 4,802,000,000

Ministry of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources Development and Rural Economic Affairs 3,057,750,000 12,245,800,000

Ministry of Industry and Commerce 2,965,000,000 7,411,000,000

Ministry of Labour & Trade Union elations 2,826,000,000 858,000,000

Ministry of Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Regional Development 2,467,000,000 2,367,000,000

Ministry of Resettlement, Rehabilitation, Northern Development and Hindu Religious Affairs 2,191,580,000 3,265,800,000

Ministry of Telecommunication, Digital Infrartsture & Foreign Employment 1,199,710,000 2,978,700,000

Ministry of Housing & Construction 993,000,000 11,586,000,000

Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development 937,000,000 47,410,000,000

Ministry of Ports & shipping 789,000,000 1,071,000,000

Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade 660,000,000 3,231,000,000

Ministry of national Integration, Reconciltion and Official Kanguaes 649,260,000 5,462,750,000

Ministry of Public Enterprise & Kandy City Development 575,400,000 386,900,000

Ministry of Power & Renewable Energy 562,465,000 534,100,000

Ministry of Hill Country New Villages, Infrastructure and Community Development 368,000,000 3,515,000,000

Ministry of City Planning and Water Supply 351,000,000 45,934,000,000

Ministry of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs 339,665,000 545,535,000

Ministry of Highways & Road Development 254,000,000 175,000,000,000

Ministry of Petroleum Resources Development 243,000,000 66,700,000