President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced today that the government intends to raise public sector salaries, introduce additional allowances for school children, and increase support for low-income families through the 2025 budget, which will be presented by March next year.
Speaking at an election rally in Homagama, the President also revealed that the government will introduce a Vote on Account in December to cover the first three months of 2025, as there isn’t enough time to present the full budget before the year’s end.
The President further explained that the government is reviewing all ongoing projects, noting that some have been suspended while others are not progressing as expected.
“We have directed the relevant institutions to create a comprehensive map identifying the locations of all projects. This is part of our strategy to alleviate rural poverty, and we will increase the allowances for low-income families in the upcoming budget,” he stated.
Additionally, President Dissanayake emphasized the government’s focus on digitalizing the public sector, announcing plans to establish a new Ministry dedicated to this initiative.
“A Sri Lankan expert currently working abroad has agreed to return and lead the digitalization efforts. He will be appointed Secretary to the new Ministry and serve as the chairman of the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA). Our goal is to make the state sector the most efficient within two to three years,” the President concluded.
