The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has criticised the government’s handling of the economy during the debate on the 2026 Appropriation Bill, accusing it of failing to meet nominal growth targets and of falling short in implementing past budget commitments.
SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva said that while the government had anticipated a 10% nominal economic growth for 2025, only 7% had been achieved.
“A nominal growth of 10% was expected, but only 7% has materialised,” he said.
He also accused the government of failing to be transparent about certain fiscal measures introduced through the 2026 Budget.
“They did not mention the implementation of a property tax from 2027 onwards. They did not mention that the 5% additional interest for senior citizens will end on December 31 this year,” he said, adding that some decisions were “done without being explicitly mentioned.”
However, he acknowledged a few positive aspects of the Budget 2026, particularly its focus on digitisation, describing it as “highly important” for Sri Lanka’s future economic framework.
Meanwhile, SJB MP Kabir Hashim highlighted the government’s budget execution record, claiming that most allocations from the previous budget remained unused.
“They haven’t even spent the money allocated last time. Great talk, no action,” he remarked.
Hashim pointed out that the previous budget contained 62 expenditure proposals and 13 direct development projects, which together accounted for only 2% of total state revenue and 2.4% of total expenditure.
Despite these modest allocations, progress has been minimal — with physical progress at just 33% and financial progress at a mere 21%, he said.
Both MPs argued that the government’s fiscal management lacked credibility and direction, urging for greater transparency, accountability, and measurable outcomes in future budgets.
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