New budgeting tool

It strengthens the Child Rights component in the National Plan of Action on Human Rights

The use of a new budgeting tool, the Child Centric Budget Analysis (CCBA), also called a Budget for Children (BfC) is a further step forward in Sri Lanka’s commitment to improve the planning, monitoring, coordination and management of her financial resources in a more efficient manner for the wellbeing of children, Senior Minister for International Monetary Cooperation and Deputy Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama said.

“It strengthens the Child Rights component in the National Plan of Action on Human Rights 20112016 which also includes policy commitments on child rights. By fulfilling State obligations to undertake better budgeting for children based on an indepth budgetary analysis, children will become visible in the economic policies of the government,” Minister Amunugama stressed.

Delivering the keynote address at the inauguration of the launch of the research report of Child Centric Budget Analysis at the BMICH on Tuesday he said Sri Lanka for several decades since independence had made consistent budgetary allocations to provide universal access to free health care and education to children. This has included services related to nutrition as well as other support services such as free text books, school uniforms and food supplementation, all of which have continued even during the difficult period of a prolonged conflict, reaching out to include even conflict affected areas so that all children will benefit from these essential services without discrimination.

A wide array of child protection and care services are also funded under the government budget, because of the increasing reports of child abuse and exploitation, while efforts continue to focus on particularly vulnerable poverty groups in need of economic upliftment and special support services, Minister Amunugama stressed.

“I sincerely believe that the future success of our nation lies in the quality of life enjoyed by the children of today, and those unborn,”he said.