The Bill is to provide for ‘the service of the financial year 2015; to authorise the raising of loans in ore outside Sri Lanka, for the purpose of such service; to make financial provision in respect of certain activities of the Government during that financial year; to enable the payment by way of advances out of the Consolidated Fund or any other fund or moneys, of or at the disposal of the Government of moneys required during that financial year for expenditure on such activities; to provide for the refund of such moneys to the Consolidated Fund and to make provision for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto,’ the preamble of the bill said.
The Appropriation Bill has allocated Rs 225,022,000,000 recurrent expenditure and Rs 6,000,000,000 capital expenditure for the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development for the coming year.
The Economic Development Ministry had been allocated a recurrent expenditure of Rs 38,000,000,000 and a capital expenditure of Rs 75,000,000,000, while the Ministry of Finance and Planning had been allotted a recurrent expenditure of Rs 72,946,000,000 and a capital expenditure of Rs 107,979,400,000.
The allocation suggested by the Bill for the Ministry of Health for the next year is Rs 100,995,751,000 (recurrent) and Rs 38,499,180,000 (capital) while the Ministry of Transport has been allotted a sum of Rs 21,658,000,000 of recurrent expenditure and Rs 1,000,000,000 of capital expenditure.
The Appropriation Bill has allotted a recurrent expenditure of Rs 335,000,000 and a capital expenditure of Rs 200,000,000,000 for the Ministry of Highways, Ports and Shipping while a recurrent expenditure of Rs 38,850,000,000 and a capital expenditure of Rs 3,269,000,000 have been allocated for the Ministry of Agriculture.
The recurrent and capital expenditures of the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs have been estimated at Rs 149,300,000,000 and 4,416,000,000 respectively.
Among key financial outlays for ministries for the next year include Mass Media and Information – Rs 5,072,000,000, Education Rs 47,600,000,000 and Higher Education – Rs 41,100,000,000.
The other notable allocations are the Ministry of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common amenities Rs 4.8 billion (Rs 4,808,725,000), Ministry of Sports Rs 3.9 billion (3,998,000,000), Local Government and Provincial Councils Rs 234 billion (Rs 234,686,640,000), and the Ministry of Law and Order - Rs. 57.5 billion (Rs 57,500,000,000).
The appropriation Bill has set a borrowing limit of 1,340 billion rupees for 2015. (Special Reporter/HC)
