1of 20Parliament & votesSri Lanka's 2027 Budget to be presented Nov 12, final vote Dec 14Sri Lanka's 2027 Budget will be presented in Parliament on 12 November 2026 by the President in his capacity as Finance Minister, with the final vote scheduled for 14 December. The timetable was approved by the Committee on Parliamentary Business, chaired by Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne, on 25 September. The Appropriation Bill's First Reading is set for 7 October, followed by the Budget Speech (Second Reading) and a seven-day debate from 13 to 20 November, with a vote at 6 p.m. on 20 November. The Committee Stage, debating allocations ministry by ministry, runs for 19 days from 21 November to 14 December, with the Third Reading vote at 6 p.m. on 14 December. During the Second Reading, the Government gets 60% of debate time and the Opposition 40%, a split that reverses during the Committee Stage. Parliament will sit daily, except Sundays and public holidays, with debates from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.Eසිத1 of 20 outletsFT.lkReported 1 Oct 2026, 5:33 am
1of 20Parliament & votesSri Lanka’s Budget process gives public too few opportunities to participate: Verité Research | Daily FTVerité Research said Sri Lanka scored 9 out of 100 for public participation in the International Budget Partnership’s Open Budget Survey 2025, reflecting too few formal opportunities for citizens to influence how public money is raised, allocated and spent. The survey also gave Sri Lanka 43 for transparency and 56 for oversight. Participation opportunities exist only during Budget formulation and audit: the Finance Ministry invites proposals annually and the National Audit Office accepts public suggestions and complaints, but there are no formal mechanisms during parliamentary approval or implementation. Verité noted that while disclosure has improved since the Public Financial Management Act, No. 44 of 2024, participation arrangements remain weak, and the score has fluctuated from 11 in 2017 to 19 in 2021, 7 in 2023 and 9 in 2025.Eසිத1 of 20 outletsFT.lkReported 30 Sep 2026, 5:30 am
1of 20Spending & allocationsParliament approves Rs. 17.2 b for electricity reliefParliament yesterday approved Supplementary Estimate No. 05 of 2026 for the Ministry of Energy, providing Rs. 17.2 billion in financial assistance to relieve the public on electricity bills.Eසිத1 of 20 outletsFT.lkReported 24 Sep 2026, 5:35 am
2of 20Parliament & votes2027 Appropriation Bill gets AG’s nodThe Appropriation Bill for the 2027 financial year has received clearance from the Attorney General. This approval paves the way for its publication in the Government Gazette. Subsequently, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved its presentation to Parliament for final approval.Eසිத2 of 20 outletsThe Island · The MorningThe Islandisland.lkThe Morningthemorning.lkReported 16 Sep 2026, 5:30 am
1of 20Parliament & votesBudget 2027: The Speech is not the lawSri Lanka is currently debating its Budget 2027, even though the Appropriation Bill has not yet reached Parliament, highlighting that the 'speech is not the law.' The draft Bill, which details the Government’s proposed expenditure allocations for 2027, is scheduled to go before Cabinet on September 14. Following this, it will appear in the Gazette on September 18. The Bill is then set to receive its First Reading in Parliament on October 7.Eසිத1 of 20 outletsSunday ObserverReported 13 Sep 2026, 1:10 am