Public Finance Committee clears 2022 Appropriation Bill

The Appropriation Bill for 2022 has been approved by the Committee on Public Finance. According to the Bill, which was tabled in Parliament, the total expenditure for 2022 is estimated at Rs. 5,134 billion, of which, the expenditure on public debt repayment is around Rs. 1,521 billion. 

Secretary to the Treasury and Ministry of Finance S.R. Attygalle explained to the members of the Committee on Recurrent Expenditure in the Bill that it mainly consisted of Rs. 980.2 billion for the payment of salaries of public servants.

He further stated that Rs. 1,001 billion has been allocated for the payment of Government loan interest, Rs. 310 billion for pensions and welfare payments of disabled war heroes, Rs. 68 billion for medical supplies, Rs. 50 billion for Samurdhi subsidies, Rs. 35 billion for fertiliser and Rs. 69 billion for other subsidies. The Secretary to the Treasury said that this year too, subsidies have been allocated for Government projects aimed at developing education, health and human capital without any change. He added that recurrent expenditure was higher in the Ministry of Defence and in the Ministry of Finance due to the payment of salaries by the Ministry of Defence as well as the payment of loans by the Ministry of Finance.

State Ministers Susil Premajayantha, Nalaka Godahewa and Members of Parliament Dr. Harsha de Silva, Prof. Ranjith Bandara, Isuru Dodangoda, Anupa Pasqual participated in the Committee on Public Finance. Secretary to the Treasury and Ministry of Finance S.R. Attygalle, and senior officials of the Ministry of Finance, including Dr. Kapila Senanayake, were also present at the meeting.