21 November 2013 07:35 am
LIVE BLOG BUDGET 2014
1517- Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa speaks, congratulates President on being appointed Commonwealth Head
15.14- President ends two hour long speech
15.03 - Judges' personal allowances to be increased by 8% to keep the proffession viable and attractive.
15.01 - Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) is now stable. Three year half tax relief when listing new companies on the CSE.
14.50 - Rs. 1200 million from Asian Development Bank (ADB) given to build 1000 new roads in populated areas in order to connect to the main roads.
14.55 - No person living in Colombo will be made to relocate from the city. New housing schemes will be built.
14.55 - House planning systems to be modernised- Maigawatthe, Prajapura etc.
14.48 - Modern Pilot training school to be established.
14.4 3- Hambanthota to be Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hub in South Asia.
14.37 - Sri Lanka's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has made a lot of progress. Will take measures to ensure that students will recieve high quality education in ICT.
14.35 - Proposes increasing and modernising hostel facilities in existing universities, lecturers' Educational allowance by 5%.
14.33 - Lecturers' salaries to be increased. Moratuwa University to be modernised. Will take steps to build modern University Cities.
14.31- MR mentions Homagama and looks behind to find the MP representing Homagama. All smile.
14.26 - Speaks about art- going to establish new Art Centres,also will modernise the Lionel Wendt in Colombo, the Galle Performance Centre and others.
14.22- To stop Kidney diseases Rs. 900 million to be spent to build a water purification unit in North Central Province (NCP).
14.20 - Chemotherapy units to be established in hospitals in Galle, Jaffna and other districts. Will help reduce patients in the waiting list for the Maharagama Cancer hospital from 3 years to 6 months.
14.17- Rs. 300 million to be given to Police child and women protections bureaus. Despite the country having rich religious and cultural upbringing female and child abuse is rampant. This must stop, MR says.
14.14 - No Provincial Council (PC) taxes on business with monthly income below Rs.50,000.
14.11- Want the Urban Development Banks to completely focus on enhancing female entrepreneurship in 2014.
14.07 - 1000 bridges to be built in remote villagers in 2014. Rs. 4500 million to be allocated for gama neguma and other village level development.
14.03 - Speaks about poultry, milk industries.
14.02- 20,000 milk cows to be imported to the country in order enhance milk manufacturing.
14.00 - I Proposed increase taxes for importing fish. Speaks about the importance of rejuvenating the fisheries industry throng infrastructure development, boats, and other methods.
13. 58 - Japan, India and China- we are trying to increase more avenues for export through bilateral exports with these countries.
13.57- We want to be the one of the top 10 countries in the world providing textiles by 2020.
13.53 - House breaks into applause.
13.52 - Tea rubber and coconut CESS tax to be strengthened.
13.51 - Coconut industry exempt from Nation Building tax for three years.
13.48 - Now we are able to work with the World Health Organisation (WHO) who helped us during the war.
13.47 - The budget seems highly focused on development on village level thus far, micro centric.
13.42- Rs. 1700 million will be allocated for irrigation systems.
13.40- Tax can be paid through the internet with the motor vehicles department and land registry systems being brought under the treasury.
13.31- As a government that is focused on giving relief we have to earn money through taxes on vehicles, liquor and cigarettes.
13.36 - Budget deficit will be reduced from 5.8% to 5.2% by 2014, 4.5% in 2015 and expected to reduce to 3.8% in 2016.
13.36- Despite all of this we have been able to reduce the deficit to 5.8.
13.33- Previous budgets were focused on privatizing, but we haven’t. Still our deficit is not as bad as theirs. I hope you remember these times Mr. Speaker.
13.31- 48 state corporations have been turned profitable, working on good governance and the rest on these corporations.
13.28- 300 million dollar investment on drainage system to stop waste by 20%
13.27- have been able to curtail the CEB losses this year, CPC has started paying loans taken from banks,
13.26 - Laws will be brought to stop foreigners from buying land outright.
13.24 - We will never privatise Banks
13.23 - We must not only focus on exporting goods. We have capacity to import knowledge, services related to technology, ports etc
13.22 - Intends on increasing exports using the ports and airports constructed in the country
13.20- Intends on increasing textile imports by 6%
13.17 - Members of the government attentively listen to MR, JVP and UNP boycott debate.
13.16 - Agriculture sector has witness improvement in many crops
13. 15 - Country saw 7.7 growth rates in third quarter of the country
13.12 - We can’t remember the last time there were power cuts in the country, the government has taken all steps to ensure that infrastructure development such as power, and water was provided. Helped reduce poverty rate
13.12 - Government takes pride in having reduced the poverty to 6% in 2013
13.09 - The summit ensured that the world leaders were given a true picture in terms of development and democracy prevailing in the country. Helped with enhancing image of the country
13.09 - CHOGM was the first international summit after Non aligned in 1976
13. 08 - Says that the people have shown faith in his government giving them resounding victories in successive elections
13.06 - President Mahinda Rajapaksa begins addressing parliament.
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