New Democratic Front (NDF) MP for the Kandy District, Anuradha Jayaratne, has criticised the government for gross underutilisation of funds allocated in the previous Budget.
Speaking during the Second Reading debate of the Appropriation Bill 2026, Jayaratne revealed that out of the Rs 4,000 million allocated last year for rural road development, only Rs 272 million had been spent, leaving more than 90 per cent of the funds unused.
Similarly, he noted that of the Rs 500 million earmarked for young entrepreneurs, only a fraction was utilised.
Highlighting the digital economy as another area of concern, he said that Rs 193 million had been set aside for the digital identity initiative, but 99 per cent of that amount was returned to the Treasury.
“How can the government expect to advance the digital economy under such circumstances?” he asked.
Jayaratne also drew attention to the government’s delay in presenting the Investment Protection Act to Parliament, despite repeated assurances from the President about prioritising the digital and investment sectors.
Raising concerns over the gap between allocations and actual implementation, Jayaratne said, “If a government that could not spend Rs 500 million for young entrepreneurs now proposes to allocate Rs 80 billion for the agriculture sector, the public has every right to question its credibility.”
He called on the government to ensure that state agencies deliver tangible outcomes rather than merely producing budgets designed to impress on paper.
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