Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa (left) with former President Maithripala Sirisena 

• SLFP, UNP urge new budgetary measures to assist people
• UNP leader calls for welfare budget instead of development budget
• SLFP leaders urges Govt. to cut back on unnecessary expenditure and provide relief

Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa said yesterday he can present a new Budget to Parliament if the Cabinet of Ministers agrees to the move.

He said such a Budget would be to provide relief to the public who are burdened with the high cost of living.

His comments were made at the All Party Conference (APC) held yesterday where former President Maithripala Sirisena who represented  the SLFP and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said a new Budget was needed to provide relief to the people.

Sirisena urged the Government to cut down on unnecessary expenditure from the current Budgetary allocations  and allocate that money for public welfare.

The UNP leader said the Government must move from a development budget to a welfare budget to assist people who are burdened due to rising costs.

 

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