The cabinet has decided not to present a budget for 2010 said Minister of State Revenue and Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya speaking to the media yesterday (6th) night. The budget will be presented after the general elections due in April and permission for the spending for the first four months of 2010 will be sought from parliament through a ‘vote-on-account’ said Minister Siyambalapitiya.
As a reason for going against the tradition of presenting a budget in November the government states a new government would be formed after the elections in April and presenting a budget for the whole year before that, without leaving it to a new government, would not be ethical.
However, this argument is not sound as budgets have been presented in all the years elections had been held. Also, the government brags that it would receive a sweeping victory at the next election so that the same government would be in office next time as well. Hence, the statement that a new budget would be presented by a new government contradicts with the statement that the next government would definitely be a government by the UPFA.
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