Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa yesterday kicked off the first steps towards effective implementation of Budget 2022 following its passage in Parliament last week.

Ahead of his departure to the US, Basil chaired a meeting of Ministers, MPs and Provincial and Local Government officials at Temple Trees, stressing the need to ensure the swift rollout of a number of comprehensive proposals in Budget 2021. 

Earlier it was speculated that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will chair the meeting but it was Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa who had convened the meeting, as the former took time off to tour the Hambantota Port to see its progress. 

Mahinda revisits Hambantota International Port