Cabinet nod to allocate Rs. 11 b for General Election

The three-member Cabinet led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in their inaugural meeting on Monday approved releasing Rs. 11 billion for the General Election scheduled for 14 November 2024.

“With the 2024 Budget lacking provisions for the election, the Cabinet has approved Rs. 5 billion from the Consolidated Fund and decided to allocate an additional Rs. 6 billion for election-related expenses to be settled in 2025,” Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Vijitha Herath said at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing yesterday.  He said the 2024 Budget has only allocated money for one election and that was the Presidential election, affirming there was no funds set aside for a General Election.

Herath said as per the powers vested in the President by Article 150 (4) of the Constitution, the decision was approved to issue Rs. 5 billion from the Consolidated Fund for the year 2024, while balance Rs. 6 billion will be included in the Vote on Account to be presented to Parliament for the 2025 fiscal year.