The General Treasury has faced a financial crisis in 2023 worse than expected, President Ranil Wickremesinghe informed the Cabinet.
Commenting on the scenario at today’s (10) Cabinet briefing, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardena said the settling of public servants’ salaries and SAMURDHI allowance may also face a delay by a week or two.
He noted that the amount of revenue that can be collected via taxes has greatly reduced at the beginning of 2023 due to the contraction of the economy in 2022, and that the General Treasury does not possess any sufficient income for the day-to-day running of public servants’ salaries, retirement payments, interest paid for government loans, and other welfare expenses.
In the backdrop, the payment of government employees’ salaries at the end of every month has become a problem, he revealed.
Accordingly, the Cabinet has been informed to slash five per cent of the budget allocated for each ministry, Gunawardena went on, adding that the President has informed the Cabinet that payment of SAMURDHI allowance may be dragged in by a short period of time due to the difficulties faced in January for salary settlements.
MIAP
