November 17, Colombo (LNW): Parliament is due to resume its scrutiny of the 2026 Budget today (17), with lawmakers expected to turn their attention to the spending proposals of the Ministry of Justice and National Integration.
This marks the second day of the Committee Stage Debate, a detailed phase in which individual ministries’ allocations are examined and contested.
The Committee Stage discussions are scheduled to run until December 05, culminating in the final vote on the Budget’s third reading at 6 p.m. on the same day. The decisive division is expected to draw considerable attention, given the political undercurrents that emerged during earlier stages of the debate.
The Budget’s second reading was approved on November 07 with a comfortable majority of 118 votes. That vote produced several noteworthy shifts in parliamentary alignment. Mano Ganesan and three colleagues from the Tamil Progressive Alliance — a constituent party of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya — backed the Budget, citing their support for the proposed wage increase for plantation sector employees. The move was viewed by some observers as a pragmatic gesture towards long-standing demands from estate communities.
Adding to the day’s surprises, Jeevan Thondaman, General Secretary of the Ceylon Workers’ Congress and a member of the opposition, also voted in favour. His decision was interpreted as an endorsement of measures aimed at improving the livelihoods of plantation workers, a constituency central to his party’s mandate.
The 2026 Budget, presented to Parliament by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on November 07, has been described as an ambitious effort to address structural economic challenges while offering targeted relief to underrepresented sectors. With several weeks of debate still ahead, MPs are expected to press for further clarity on revenue plans, public sector reform, and regional development priorities.
