• EC’s help sought to reduce Rs. 800 m costs down to Rs. 600 m 

The Department of Government Printing has requested the Election Commission (EC) to help minimise the printing costs for the upcoming Presidential Election, which are estimated to reach a maximum of Rs. 800 million.

It was recently reported that the Department informed the EC that printing costs for the Presidential Election would range from Rs. 600 to Rs. 800 million.

Commenting on the matter to The Daily Morning, Government Printer Gangani Liyanage stated that if the ballot paper used for the upcoming Presidential Election is the same size as the one used in 2019, the maximum printing cost would be Rs. 800 million. She noted that if the size of the ballot paper is reduced by half, the total printing cost would be a maximum of Rs. 600 million. Speaking further, she said that the anticipated cost would change if the number of relevant documents is altered or their sizes are reduced. 

"This is only a rough estimate. We can make a more accurate estimate only when the Presidential Election is declared, and the printing related requirements are properly informed by the EC. However, the maximum cost will be Rs. 800 million. I have informed the EC to assist us to reduce expenses as much as possible."

The EC had recently sent a letter to several government agencies including the Department of Government Printing, informing them to prepare for the Presidential Election. The Department then commenced the process of estimating the election-related printing costs. 

In response to recent reports indicating a substantial increase in printing expenses compared to the last Presidential Election held in 2019, Liyanage, on an earlier occasion, explained that this year's (2024) printing costs are expected to be four times higher than those incurred in 2019.