The Government is still not in a position where it can afford its expenditure, even though it has taken measures to cut down its expenditure as much as possible, said the Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Bandula Gunawardana.

Speaking at a State function held yesterday (19), he said that the Government is running with a shortfall of Rs. 10 trillion to meet the Government's expenditure with its revenue, according to the statistics for last year (2023). However, he said that the Government has been able to manage the country’s economic issues while taking the hardest and most unpopular decisions for the betterment of the country. He also stated that the Government's revenue acquired through all means of income, including foreign donations and the new tax policy, is only Rs. 3 trillion at a time when its expenditure records Rs. 13 trillion. 

“Last year, the total income of the Government was Rs. 3 trillion. It was even after the Government's new tax policy. After all sorts of expenses like paying salaries, allocations for the social safety net, and paying interest on multilateral debt, the expenditure level of the Government has risen to Rs. 13 trillion. There is a deficit of Rs. 10 trillion in government revenue,” he said. 

Gunawardana added that the parties that criticise the Government on certain occasions, including the opposition, should tell the public about their proposals and programmes to recover the shortfall of Rs. 10 trillion. “Anyone who wishes to take over the Government at this time should reveal their plans on how to continue the Government under such circumstances, if he/she is not a liar,” he said.