The fund proposed for post–Cyclone Ditwah recovery, titled “Rebuilding Sri Lanka,” cannot be established without the approval of Parliament, and doing so would be unconstitutional, Samagi Jana Balawegaya parliamentarian Dr. Harsha de Silva said.
Addressing Parliament, Dr. de Silva argued that while such a fund may be necessary, it must be created through a constitutionally valid process with the approval of Parliament.
“It is not possible to establish a fund like ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ without Parliament’s approval. Our Constitution clearly states, under Article 148, that Parliament has full authority over all revenue received by the country and all expenditure incurred by the country,” he said.
“We have already passed a resolution in Parliament stating that a fund cannot be created in this manner. Therefore, no such fund has been established. What exists are only the account numbers of the Deputy Finance Secretary and the Central Bank Governor.”
He further noted, “If such a fund exists, we ask that it be disclosed. If we are to establish it, we will formulate the necessary laws in Parliament. Any such fund must be created strictly in accordance with the Constitution.”
