2027 Budget to prioritise long-term solutions for drinking water issues

Colombo, July 8 (Daily Mirror) - The 2027 Budget would give special priority to addressing the country’s long-standing drinking water issues by introducing sustainable solutions, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said.

The President made these remarks today (08) during a discussion at the Presidential Secretariat to review the progress of projects carried out under the 2026 Budget allocations for the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Water Supply and to discuss funding requirements for 2027.

The meeting reviewed the progress of key institutions under the Ministry, including the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, Department of National Community Water Supply, National Housing Development Authority and the Resettlement Division.

The President highlighted that having several institutions under different ministries handling similar responsibilities had created inefficiencies in project implementation. He instructed officials to identify and discontinue institutions that were no longer effective or relevant, noting that maintaining outdated institutions had created an unnecessary financial burden on the Government.

Discussions also focused on major water supply projects, including the Kandy North Integrated Water Supply Project, Greater Colombo Wastewater Management Project, Ambatale Water Supply Project and Anuradhapura North Water Supply Project.

Officials also discussed plans to allocate the largest-ever budgetary provision for addressing drinking water requirements across the country under the 2027 Budget.