Plans are now underway to put off the forthcoming local government elections by restricting the release of funds necessary for election expenditure.
According to informed government sources, the government information department has made an announcement to this effect, quoting President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The information department has said that the president has directed all the institutions to restrict expenditures other than for essential matters.
The President’s Office has also issued a corresponding press release stating that the President has informed the Treasury that it would be difficult for the Treasury to meet all expenses other than salaries of government employees, pensions, welfare, medicines, and debt servicing.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has also stated that until the planned income is generated by implementing the new tax reforms, government expenditures will have to be curtailed.
Treasury Secretary K.M. Mahinda Siriwardena had also issued a circular informing the public to restrict the release of public funds to control government expenditure and emphasized that essential public services will be maintained without interruption until the expected revenue targets are achieved through the recent tax reforms.
Accordingly, the Treasury Secretary has stated that the Treasury will release money needed for essential expenditures prioritized by the budget circulars No. 01/2023 and No. 09/2022 for salaries, pensions, welfare expenses, medical supplies, and debt servicing as stipulated. By Circular No. 09/2022
Officials should strictly enforce the directives prescribed and should not enter into any obligation contrary to these conditions. Officials who act contrary to such terms shall be made personally liable, the circular states.
The total expenditure required for the local government election is estimated at 10 billion rupees, and the commission has requested 770 million rupees from the general treasury as its initial expenditure; however, the money has not been released in a proper manner so far.
The election commission can use the money it received from the appropriation bill. Manjula Gajanayake, Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies, has pointed this out. Nevertheless, he says it has to go through a parliamentary process.
Making his observations to the BBC, Manjula Gajanayake says that there is a possibility that this request will probably be defeated by Parliament.
“Parliament is also waiting for such a resolution.” “If the party leaders decide that this requires a division, they can take a decision not to issue money for the purpose,” he points out.
