Budget 2027: the dates to know

The President presents the budget on 12 November. Here is how it moves through Parliament, and what economists are asking for.

Sri Lanka’s 2027 budget has started its journey through Parliament. Deputy Minister of Finance Anil Jayantha tabled the Appropriation Bill on 7 October, Newswire reported. The bill sets out how much the government can spend next year; the budget speech explains what it will spend it on.

How it works

12 November: the President, who is also Minister of Finance, delivers the budget speech. This is when the tax and spending plans are announced.

13 to 20 November: seven days of debate on the budget as a whole, ending with the second reading vote. The government gets 60% of the speaking time and the opposition 40%.

21 November to 14 December: nineteen days of committee stage, where each ministry’s spending is debated. The split reverses, with the opposition getting 60%.

14 December: the final vote. Parliament will also sit on Saturdays during the debate, but not on Sundays or public holidays.

What economists are asking for

In September the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) urged the government to avoid both new tax rate rises and early tax cuts in this budget, and instead to widen the tax net and improve compliance, the Daily Mirror reported. Its argument is that Sri Lanka is at a delicate point in repairing its public finances.

We will explain the main announcements on the day of the speech.

Sources: Newswire, 7 October 2026; Sunday Times, 12 July 2026; Daily Mirror, 23 September 2026.