New Vote on Account after April polls

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will submit a new Vote on Account (VOA) after the upcoming general election, seeking Rs 500 billion to cover Government expenses for three months from April.

A senior Treasury official told the Sunday Times that the VOA was required to pay state- sector salaries, pensions, buy medicines and meet other essential expenditure. The official noted that the current VOA approved under the previous Government was valid until April 30.

Under Article 150(3) of the Constitution, the President is empowered to use funds from the Consolidated Fund to cover any expenditure necessary to maintain public services for three months from the date on which the new Parliament is summoned to meet.

Development Banking and Loan Schemes State Minister Shehan Semasinghe, however, stated that the Government was focused on presenting a full budget at the earliest opportunity after the parliamentary election.

“We hope that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will present a full budget in his capacity as Minister of Finance. We need such a budget if we are to provide all the benefits that should be given to the people,” he said, adding that a new VOA would be presented if this could not be done.

On Thursday, the Government abandoned plans to present an amended VOA seeking to obtain an additional Rs 367 billion for Government expenses. This came after the Opposition declined to support the motion.

Minister Semasinghe noted that the Government had also sought to Rs 156 billion to pay outstanding amounts owed to contractors for projects undertaken under the previous Government. “Unfortunately, we could not get approval for this. We urge the contractors to remain patient for another two months until the election is over,” he said.