former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has praised the Budget 2024 presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, labeling it as a "futuristic budget." Rajapaksa, the Leader of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), announced in Parliament that the party would lend its support to the proposed budget, citing its promotion of fiscal discipline.

"I believe that as public representatives, we should have an unbiased approach when looking at Budget 2024. If we fail to do so, we will miss good budget decisions. We should be able to say what’s right and wrong. Budget 2024 presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe is a futuristic budget. Therefore, we, as the SLPP, will support the budget. The budget promotes fiscal discipline," stated former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa during the parliamentary session.

Rajapaksa's remarks came ahead of the second reading vote on the budget scheduled for later today. Rajapaksa's statement in Parliament guarantees the majority support in the House for the budget presented by President Ranil Wickremesinge.