Thursday Oct 02, 2025
Thursday Oct 02, 2025
Tuesday, 30 September 2025 01:51 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Government continues to improve its fiscal performance with the overall Budget deficit for the first eight months of 2025 falling 54.88% from a year ago to Rs. 411 billion, according to the latest data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).
The overall Budget deficit in the eight months to the end of August 2024 was Rs. 911 billion.
Tax revenue for the eight months grew 31% from Rs. 2.35 trillion a year ago to Rs. 3.07 trillion, with non-tax revenue growing 8% from Rs. 209 billion to Rs. 226.2 billion.
Grants fell 17.3% to Rs. 6.7 billion, compared to Rs. 8.1 billion a year ago.
Recurrent expenditure in the eight months to end August 2025 grew at a slower pace than revenue, growing 11% from Rs. 3.04 trillion a year ago to Rs. 3.4 trillion. Capital and lending excluding repayments fell sharply by 24% from Rs. 435 billion a year ago to Rs. 331 billion.
The Government recorded a primary balance surplus of Rs. 1.27 trillion in the eight months, up 97% from Rs. 648.7 billion a year ago, with overall Budget deficit declining 55% from Rs. 911 billion a year ago to Rs. 411 billion.
CBSL data published debt figures for the first six months of 2025.
Total outstanding Government debt was up 3% from Rs. 28.7 trillion a year ago to Rs. 29.6 trillion, with outstanding foreign debt growing 3.8% from Rs. 10.4 trillion to Rs. 10.8 trillion.
Total domestic Government debt in the seven months grew 2.7% from Rs. 18.3 trillion a year ago to Rs. 18.8 trillion.
Outstanding Treasury Bills fell 3.4% from Rs. 4.1 trillion a year ago to Rs. 3.9 trillion with Bonds up 6% from Rs. 14 trillion a year ago to Rs. 14.9 trillion.
