BUDGET SPEECH WILL BE DELIVERED ON MARCH 5 | Daily News

BUDGET SPEECH WILL BE DELIVERED ON MARCH 5

Final vote expected in first week of April

The ‘Budget 2019’ will be presented to Parliament in the form of an Appropriation Bill on February 5 and the Budget Speech will be delivered by Finance and Mass Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera on March 5, party leaders were informed yesterday.

The final vote of the Budget is expected in the first week of April.

A Party Leaders’ meeting chaired by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya was held at the Parliamentary complex to decide on the business of Parliament for next week.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, reaffirming his position on the Opposition Leader post, had told the party leaders that he recognizes former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Opposition Leader and UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera as the Chief Opposition Whip.

The Speaker had made the above observation when the matter was raised by UPFA MP Nimal Siripala de Silva. The UPFA had questioned about TNA Leader R. Sampanthan not vacating the Opposition Leader’s Office at Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha in Colombo.

The Party Leaders have also discussed on the Provincial Council Elections and have agreed to hold them as soon as possible.

Parliament will sit from January 8-11 while several pieces of legislation including Regulations under the Sports Law, Chemical Weapons Convention (Amendment) Bill, Order under the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act, Recovery of Damages for the Death of a Person Bill and Order under the Extradition Law have been scheduled to be taken up for debate.

A Vote on Account to cover Government expenditure in the first quarter of the year was passed in Parliament last month. 


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