President: I like to thank all the officials, especially Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardene for working during the early hours of the morning on some days, on the budget proposals over the past few days and weeks.

President: I invite all Sri Lankan expatriates to revisit the country and see its development and consider how you could contribute to the country's development.

TAXES: No new taxes, only revisions would be introduced.

Bribes:  We need to wipe out corruption. We need to create a society where people would be afraid and reluctant to demand bribes.

Income: No imputed rental income tax this year

Digital: Collections to be digitalised to reduce corruption and promote efficiency.

Revenue - Extra revenue measures from alcohol and cigarette taxes already in force since last January.

President: So how do we raise the funds for all these new programmes?

Salaries (Private( - Next year the base salary for the private sector from January 2026 would be Rs. 30,000.

Salaries: State sector salaries increased - Rs. 15,000, Rs.24,000 and Rs.40,000.
Rs. 110 billion allocated for this.

Water: Rs. 41 billion for Tambuthegama and other areas for water resource development.

Jaffna: Rs. 1.5 billion allocation for residents who dont' have houses.

Apartments/Media - Rs. 1 billion to maintain old apertments
Over 100 apartment complex for entertainment and media industry

Culture: A new Sri Lanka day of unity to be introduced
Rs. 300 million allocated for cultural develoment.

Elephants: Rs.640 million to tackle elephant-human conflict.

Corruption: Strenghening laws against corruption

Waste: Rs.700 million for waste disposal programme in Anuradhapura.

Environment: Rs.5 billion for Clean Sri Lanka programme.

Rubber - Rs.1.5 billion to set up technical centre for rubber sector development.

Zone: A separate Chemical Zone to be established in Paranthan.

Rs.500 million to revive abandone techno parks in Galle.

East: To be developed with Indian assistance.

Plantations: Rs. 7.5 billion allocated for workers benefits.
Workers income to be increased to Rs.1700 per day

Jaffna: Rs. 5 billion for bridges and roads this year.

MPs: Rs 10 million for MPs for development work.

Bridges: Rs. 1 billion for maintainance of rural bridges.

Trains: Rs.250 million for new carriages.
Kelani Valley service to be extended. Rs 250 million for this purpose. Study to ascertain how many families would be affected when land is acquired for this purpose.

Airlines: SriLankan Airlines will not be funded by the Treasury in future.

Buses: Timetables to be established for public and private services to tackle competition and other related problems in an effort to improve services.

Rs.3 billion for luxury bus services on selected routes.
New Metro bus company to be set up and services would be digitalised. 

Transportation: Allocation of Rs. 500 million to improve 100 buses on Kottawa, Moratuwa and Wattala services to Colombo.

200 buses in other areas will come under a new bus company.

Prisons: 65 % of prisoners below 45 years.

Migrants: Duty free allwance to be introduced for migrant workers.

Avurudu: Lanka Sathosa to provide subsidised food packs during New Year season. Rs 1 billion allocated for this purpose.

Drugs: Rs. 500 million to create awareness for a drug-free society.

Senior Citizens - They will receive a special 3 per cent annual interest rate on top of current rates.

Disabled: Support for local manufacturers to build assisted equipment for disabled persons.

Suicide prevention: Counselling servicdes for students to eradicate suicides which have increased recently. Rs 250 allocation.

Suicide prevention: Counselling servicdes for students to eradicate suicides which have increased recently. Rs 250 allocation.

Children: Rs. 5 billion allocation for low income children in Grade 5.

Children rehab: Children in remand or juvenile custody can study to obtain NVQ 3 or 4 qualification. They will be issued proper documentation by police, other authorities.

Children rehab: Children in remand or juvenile custody can study to obtain NVQ 3 or 4 qualification. They will be issued proper documentation by police, other authorities.

Children rehab: Children in remand or juvenile custody can study to obtain NVQ 3 or 4 qualification. They will be issued proper documentation by police, other authorities.

Children" Rs 5 billion for orphanaged. Rs. 2000 to be deposited in a child's bank account. Rs.3000 for legal guardians.

Child Rehab: Rs. 1million for children who are displaced to build a home.

Health: Kidney patients stipend Rs 10,000.

Child Rehabilitation: Children in rehabilitation centres and in prisons Rs. 500 million for their development.
Rs. 250 million allocation to purchase vehicles to transport child suspects to courts.

Poverty support: Aswesuma allocated Rs. 232.5 billion.
280,000 persons to be added to this scheme from March this year.

Coconut: According to the Coconut Research Institute 16,000 acres of coconut  land in the north to be developed with Rs 500 million allocation.

Rs. 500 million for coconut development.

Irrigation: Rs. 2 billion allocation for its development.

Milk: Production to increase through Rs. 2.5 billion allocation.

OIL: 61 oil tanks in Trincomalee to be brought under one unit.

Rs. 250 million allocation to SMEs to start cultivation.

Paddy: PMB Act to be amended to bring it in line with current trends.

Timely release of infomation on agriculture is an issue. Will establish a proper scheme to address this based on data.

Will break the current monopoly in rice.

Rs.5 billion to purchase paddy.

Agriculture: Rs.35 billion for fertiser subsidies for paddy farmers.

Energy - we should focus on the economie benefit to the country not from where and which company/country is considered.

(The President refers to the controversial pricing process for the Mannar wind power projects in which India's Adani has withdraw its offer.)

Power: Amended CEB Act to be implemented shortly.

Power: Amended CEB Act to be implemented shortly.

Rs. 100 million to computerise and for insfrastructure development of the Jaffna library. 

Rs,200 million to provide scholarships to students to study in international universities who will then return to serve the country.

Rs. 4-5 billion for vocational training schemes.

Rs. 500 million to relocate schools to ensure they are in close proxiity of children's homes.

Rs. 500 million to relocate schools to ensure they are in close proxiity of children's homes.

Rs. 1billion for school infrastructure development. Rs. 125 billion for university infrastructure development.

Early childhood means - allocation of Rs. 1 billion.

Lady Ridgeway for women will have a separate centre for autism and eventually opened in other districts;

New plan to tackle autism ailments.

Rs. 185 billion allocated for medicines and medical equipment purchase.

Estate sector to be provided with improved health services.

Rs.720 million for women's work.

Rs 5 billion for thriposha programme.

Rs.7.5 billion for nutrition for pregnant women.

State institutions under a new holding company which would decide its status and which should be sold/privatised or not.

Committee established under President's Office to limit or discontinue state services to improve efficiency and reduce wastage. 

No new cars or permits for MPs.

Many state officials are using these high maintainance vehicles.

All luxury vehicles belonging to the government will be auctioned.

Rs. 1 billion for research.

Patents: 272 patents registered of which 32 are overseas. Sri Lanka ranked  32 in patent releases last year.

SME development needed but they dont have required capital. This new development bank for SMEs to be set up.

Police and the related authorities to be strenghened  to address complaints by tourists. Laws to be strengthened if necessary.

BIA (airport) has exceeded its capacity.  Hope to start on second terminal as soon as possible with Japanese assistance.

Infrastructure development and increasing new attraction sites.

Increase the number of entry points (at airports) to reduce congestion.

Need to focus on tourism revenue rather than focus on the number of arrivals.

Rs. 3 Billion for the digitalisation process from the cash already allocated.

Will introduce a cashless society where notes and coins will be limited.

Digital Economic Authority to be established.
Will bring in infrastructure to sustain and secure these different platforms.

Cyber security and sustainability important.

Sri Lanka Unit Digital ID to be established.  Will expedite the process. It will be the forcal point for digitalisation.

Rs. 1 billion allocated for security scanners at ports of entry.

Rs.500 million for port storage facility at Veyangoda.

Within one month new port terminals - ECT and WCT will be operational.

National standards will be established with Rs. 750 investment.

Bimsaviya scheme would be enhanced.

Digitalisation of state sector and establish a network to ensure work can be carried out from one location.

Will ease doing of business through digitalisation and better tax system

Economic Transformational Act to be revised.

PPPs and privately run zones to be established.

A new Customs Act to be established.

A single window for FDIs.

A single window for FDIs.

Will use Sri Lankan foreign missions to attract FDIs.

Will obtain raw materials at a better price and  at a more sustainable price.

A new National Tax Policy.

Goods and services: Establish a national policy on exports.

PPPs in the economic sectors for a transformational economic change.

Will invest in human resources.

Will carefully manage tax revenue.

Proper forex reserves to be maintained.

Sustainable increase in foreign reserves.

Medium term growth will increase by 5 %.

Corruption free and good governance will be installed under Clean Sri Lanka.

Need to see an increase in production of agriculture and developing industry.

(The President continues to give an overview of the economy, the challenges and possible solutions). 

44% of GDP contribution is from the Western Province.

Need to ensure long term economic stablity of people's incomes to eradicate poverty.
 

Living standards have dropped owing to a rise in prices of goods.

Need to establish a stabe economy to ensure we can start paying loans in coming years (2028).

Our economy is not independent.

Negative statements against us have not stopped our standing internationally.

The President refers to the economic crisis that was faced by Sri Lankans and how the economy collapsed during this period.

President Dissanayake begins his budget speech. 

10 am -Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, as the finance minister of the new National People;s Power administration, is due to present his first budget (2025) at 10.30 am today.