Parliament’s party leaders have confirmed that the 2027 Budget Speech will be delivered on November 12, and the government says relief measures for the public are under discussion for inclusion in it.
The decision was approved at a meeting of party leaders chaired by Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera said, according to the Daily Mirror. Hiru News attributed the same decision to the Committee on Parliamentary Business, also chaired by the Speaker.
The full parliamentary timetable
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| First Reading, Appropriation Bill 2027 | October 7 |
| Second Reading (Budget Speech) | November 12 |
| Second Reading debate | November 13–20 |
| Second Reading vote | 6:00 p.m., November 20 |
| Third Reading (Committee Stage) debate | November 21 – December 14 |
| Third Reading vote | 6:00 p.m., December 14 |
The President, in his capacity as Minister of Finance, delivers the Budget Speech on Thursday, November 12, Hiru News reported. During the debate period, sittings will run daily from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., including Saturdays but excluding Sundays and government holidays.
The dates match the Finance Ministry calendar published in July, which set the same November 12 Budget Speech and October 7 first reading. Wednesday’s decision is the party leaders’ formal approval of that timetable.
What the government says will be in it
Health Minister and Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa told reporters the government is “discussing several relief packages to be provided to the people while maintaining economic stability,” and that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is expected to announce the measures in the Budget Speech.
Jayatissa said relief would be delivered without compromising economic stability, and that the government was managing the economy amid external shocks arising from tensions in the Middle East.
He noted the government had already acted ahead of the Budget, pointing to the fuel subsidy — Rs. 57 billion between April and June, with a further Rs. 40.65 billion approved for October to December, allocated to diesel alone.
A date discrepancy worth noting
The Daily Mirror’s report of Jayatissa’s remarks gives the Budget Speech date as October 12. That conflicts with the same newspaper’s own report of the party leaders’ decision, published four hours earlier the same day, which gives November 12 — as do Hiru News, the July Finance Ministry calendar and the parliamentary timetable above.
October 12 corresponds to no stage in the published schedule; the October date in the calendar is October 7, the first reading. We have used November 12 throughout. It is not clear whether the discrepancy originated with the minister or in transcription.
Not reported
Neither outlet says what the relief packages contain, what they would cost, or which groups they target. Jayatissa did not indicate whether the measures are additional to the fuel subsidy or an extension of it.
