Budget alterations to cost seven billion rupees more – Ravi

By Saman Indrajith-December 17, 2015, 7:00 am 

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake yesterday told Parliament that four recent amendments introduced by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to the budget proposals had resulted in the budget deficit increasing by seven billion rupees.

Minister Karunanayke said he would inform the House on Dec. 19 how he would tackle the increase in the budget deficit.

During the committee stage of the budget debate, the Prime Minister could introduce amendments. Not only the Prime Minister even an MP of the Opposition could make constructive proposals and the government was ready to accommodate them if they were sensible, the minister said.

The Minister said so in response to a question raised by UPFA Colombo District MP Bandula Gunawardena, who demanded to know whether there would be any changes in the budget estimates owing to the amendments introduced by the Prime Minister.

Minister Karunanayake said the Prime Minister was entitled to make amendments and the government had the means to cover the increased estimate of seven billion rupees.

He said that an amendment for the taxes on liquor had been introduced by the President and there would be an increase in tax revenue. The details would be made known to the House during his speech at the debate on the Financial Ministry expenditure heads scheduled for Dec. 19.

The Minister also said that if the Government Medical Officers’ Association continued to demand duty free vehicle permits, then the Minister of Health would have to make allocations for that scheme under the Health Ministry’s expenditure heads.