Sri Lankan Parliament is set for the scheduled vote on the Second Reading of the 2024 Appropriation Bill, also known as the 78th Budget Speech, slated for this evening.

The fiscal roadmap for the upcoming year was unveiled to the House by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on November 13 in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization & National Policies. Since then, parliamentary discussions on the budgetary proposals have intensified, marking today as the seventh day of deliberations.

Members of Parliament have engaged in rigorous scrutiny and debate, analyzing the intricacies of the proposed budget. The outcome of the Second Reading will significantly shape the subsequent stages of parliamentary review, determining the acceptance or rejection of the financial plan.

Looking ahead, the parliamentary calendar reveals that the Committee Stage or the Third Reading debate is set to span 19 days, beginning on November 22 and concluding on December 13, excluding Sundays. The last step of this legislative process is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on December 13, 2023, when the vote on the Third Reading of the budget will unfold, revealing the fate of the financial framework for the fiscal year 2024.