2025 Budget passed in Parliament with amendments

Saturday, 22 March 2025 00:22 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President Anura Kumara Disanayake

The 2025 and the maiden Budget of the President Anura Kumara Disanayake Government was passed in Parliament with amendments by a majority of 114 votes yesterday.

A total of 159 members voted in favour while 45 parliamentarians voted against the inaugural budget of the NPP Government.

The vote on the Third Reading of the Budget for the fiscal year 2025 took place following a speech by President Anura Kumara Disanayake.

The Parliamentary passage for the Budget 2025 follows heated debate on it from 18 February till yesterday.

President Disanayake, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, presented the Budget 2025 focussed on empowering social and economic stability, on 17 February.

Private sector hailed the Budget as progressive though the Opposition MPs criticised it for lacking real change. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) too welcomed the Budget 2025.

The 2025 Budget aims to stimulate a 5% economic growth and achieve a total tax revenue to GDP of 13.9% and a revenue of 15.1% of GDP along with a primary surplus. The Budget deficit is to be 6.7% of GDP.