President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the Minister of Finance will present Budget 2024 in Parliament on November 13 (tomorrow) at 12 noon.
The debate on the Second Reading of the 2024 Budget will begin on November 14 and continue for seven days till November 21.
Following the debate, the vote on the Second Reading of the Budget will be taken on November 21 at 6 pm.
The Committee Stage debate or the Third Reading debate on the Budget will begin on November 22 and continue till December 13.
The vote on the Third Reading of the Budget 2024 will be taken on December 13 at 6 pm.
State Minister of Finance Dr.Ranjith Siyambalapitiya told the media recently that none of the demands presented with regard to Budget 2024 would be discarded and highlighted the importance of deliberation on all economic issues.
A salary hike for State sector employees is to be proposed in the upcoming Budget 2024, with President Wickremesinghe also promising to request the private sector to increase salaries of employees following an unprecedented rise in commodity prices due to inflation triggered by the 2022 financial crisis.
The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) has written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake urging to take immediate action to ensure truth, justice, with regard to the ongoing Chemmani mass grave investigation.
The letter emphasized that over 65 skeletons, including those of infants, have been recovered so far, affirming the scale of atrocities allegedly committed in the region.
ITAK also called for the public release of all forensic reports and DNA findings and warned that symbolic reconciliation would remain hollow without legal accountability.
Signed by senior ITAK leaders C.V.K. Sivagnanam and M.A. Sumanthiran, the letter urge the President to implement the following without delay :
Consolidate the legal cases related to the 1999 and 2025 exhumations into a single judicial and forensic inquiry under the Colombo and Jaffna Magistrate’s Courts.
Engage independent, internationally respected forensic experts to oversee all stages of the investigation, ensuring forensic integrity and public trust.
Publicize all interim and final forensic reports, DNA profiles and identification results, and facilitate access for victims’ families, civil society and international observers.
Repatriate the remains excavated in 1999, currently believed to be held in Glasgow, so they may be examined under the same protocols and returned to their families with dignity.
Allocate significantly enhanced financial and logistical resources to ensure that the current excavation is completed under international standards; hundreds of families continue searching for missing loved ones, and without truth and accountability, reconciliation remains a facade.Concurrently, take steps to prosecute those responsible for these heinous crimes, which is essential for national healing.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that a society cannot progress without a meaningful connection to its historic heritage and that the nation’s development path must be chosen accordingly.
The President made these remarks while addressing a ceremonial gathering yesterday (July 10) afternoon at the historic Ruhunu Kataragama sacred site.
Earlier in the day, President Dissanayake visited the sacred grounds of Kataragama, participated in religious observances and later paid a courtesy call on the Venerable Kobawaka Dhamminda Nayaka Thera, the Chief Incumbent of the historic Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya, inquiring about his well-being and engaging in a brief discussion.
The President also attended the final Randoli Maha Perahera (Golden Chariot Grand Procession) of the annual Esala Festival at the Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya, where he witnessed the ceremonial placement of the sacred relic casket upon the relic bearing tusker.
Addressing the gathering, President Dissanayake further emphasised that a nation can only move forward by maintaining continuity with its historic heritage. He noted that every developed country in the world has achieved progress by preserving its historical legacy and building upon it, stressing that Sri Lanka, too, must choose a development path anchored in its heritage.
The President highlighted that Buddhism played a pivotal role in transforming our society into a cultured civilisation and that cultural festivals like this help revive and strengthen the moral and social values of a society often preoccupied with material pursuits.
He pointed out that the Ruhunu Kataragama Perahera has been held continuously for 2,186 years, spanning nearly a hundred generations and that its survival has been possible due to the deep connection between this cultural ceremony and the lives of the people. The President extended his gratitude to all those, including the Chief Incumbent, who contributed to the success of this year’s procession.
Among those present at the occasion were Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, R.M. Jayawardena, Governor of the Uva Province, Attorney-at-Law Kapila Jayasekara, Member of Parliament Ruwan Wijeweera, Chairman of the Kataragama Pradeshiya Sabha, Dharmapala Herath and Monaragala District Secretary Pasan Ratnayake.
The Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar has postponed the formal serving of charges against former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and 12 others to Sep. 16, citing delays in the printing of annexures required to accompany the chargesheets.
Deputy Solicitor General Lakmini Girihagama, appearing for the prosecution, informed the court that while the chargesheets had already been filed, the annexures had not yet been submitted due to printing delays. She noted that it would cost approximately Rs. 866,565 to print the annexures for each accused and that the documents for all twelve defendants are yet to be prepared.
The Government Printer has indicated that it would take about 21 days to complete the printing. Therefore, the prosecution requested the court to reschedule the case accordingly. The court granted the request and fixed the next hearing for Sep. 16.
The Attorney General has filed 13 charges against the accused, including allegations of conspiring to fraudulently misappropriate Rs. 1.444 billion in public funds by supplying 6,195 vials of human immunoglobulin and non-pharmaceutical substances such as Ritopsimap to the Ministry of Health’s Medical Supplies Division.