Press Gallery close for Budget tomorrow

The Public and Media Gallery will remain closed for the Budget presentation tomorrow, Shan Wijetunga Director, Department of Communication in Parliament said.

However, ambassadors and officials authorised by the Ministry of Finance have been invited tomorrow, and seats reserved in the Speaker's Gallery during the budget presentation will be subjected to health and safety regulations, he added.

Initially the Press Gallery was closed after five journalists covering parliamentary procedures were confirmed as positive COVID-19 cases.  However all the detections were made more than three weeks back and some of them have already returned home.

But,  parliamentary authorities have not made arrangements to allow journalists to return to Parliament so far  showing a marked contrast to some of the other institutions which have opened up even after the detection of COVID positive cases.

Moreover the parliamentary authorities have planned to keep the journalists away during the budget debates as well.

Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Mahinda Rajapaksa will present the second reading of the Appropriation Bill for the financial year 2021 in Parliament tomorrow.