The vote for the third reading of the Budget 2019 is scheduled to be held at 5 pm this evening (05). On the 5th of March, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera presented the Budget for the year 2019 to the Parliament.
After the 6 days of the Second Reading Debate of the Budget, the vote was held on the 12th of March. The Budget received 119 votes in favor and 76 votes against it.
Several budget headings on the Committee Stage Debate on the budget debate have been defeated and the supplementary estimate submitted for the budget has now been finalized.
Several expenditure heads were defeated at the committee stage debate and a supplementary estimate for these is set to be passed today.
Meanwhile, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), along with the United National Front (UNF) is due to vote in favor of the Budget, while the Joint Opposition and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) are to vote against the budget.
However, the stance of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) on the budget voting is yet to be announced.
The SLFP parliamentary group is set to meet in the parliamentary complex this morning to decide on their final decision.
Member of Parliament Dullas Alahapperuma said that a positive decision is expected of the SLFP.
