The Third Reading of the 2026 Appropriation Bill was passed in Parliament with a majority of 157 votes.
A total of 158 MPs voted in favour of the Budget, while only one MP voted against it and two abstained. All Ceylon Tamil Congress MP G.G. Ponnambalam was the sole parliamentarian to oppose the Bill, while ITAK MPs S. Shritharan and Thurairasa Ravikaran abstained.
The final vote on the Appropriation Bill began at 7.30 p.m. today (05), marking the end of the 2026 Budget process. Before the vote, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake delivered a special statement in Parliament. The Committee Stage debate, which forms the Third Reading, commenced on November 15 and continued for 17 days, including three Saturdays, though several sessions were adjourned due to severe weather.
Parliament’s Department of Communication announced that a supplementary estimate of Rs. 50 billion has been submitted to provide relief for communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah.
The Second Reading debate of the 2026 Appropriation Bill took place from November 8 to 14 and concluded with the vote on November 14 at 6.00 p.m. The Second Reading was passed with a majority of 118 votes, with 160 MPs voting in favour, 42 against, and eight abstaining.
The 2026 Appropriation Bill—Sri Lanka’s 80th National Budget—was presented to Parliament on November 7 by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as Minister of Finance.
