Parliament completes 2nd Reading of 2018 Budget

By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent

Bringing the Second Reading Debate of the Appropriation Bill 2018 to an end, the House is scheduled to take the division today at 5.00 p.m. 

The second reading debate, which commenced on 10 November, the following day after the Budget Speech, continued for six consecutive days in Parliament.

Starting from tomorrow, the Committee Stage Debate of the Appropriation Bill 2018 will be moved until 9 December where the third reading division will be called at 5.00 p.m. on the last day, bringing the program to an end.

According to the schedule, the expenditure heads coming under the President, the Prime Minister, judges of the Supreme Court, office of the cabinet of ministers, Public Service Commission, Judicial Service Commission, National Police Commission, Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Commission to Investigate Allegation of Bribery or Corruption, Office of the Finance Commission, National Education Commission, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, Parliament, Office of the Leader of the Opposition, Offices of the Chief Government and Opposition Whips, Leader of the House of Parliament, Elections Commission, Auditor General’s Department, Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, Audit Service Commission, National Procurement Commission, Delimitation Commission, Right to Information Commission and Department of Management Audit are scheduled to be taken up for debate on Saturday.