The government is preparing to bring a new supplementary estimate before Parliament next week, alongside a separate resolution under the Public Debt Management Act, according to the parliamentary business schedule approved on October 16.
The supplementary estimate, identified as No. 06 of 2026, concerns the Department of Development Finance. It is scheduled to be presented on October 20, with parliamentary consideration planned for the following day.
Wednesday’s debate on the debt resolution and supplementary estimate has been allocated from 11.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Additional spending authorisation
A supplementary estimate allows the government to seek parliamentary authorisation for expenditure outside the amounts already provided for in the relevant approved budget allocations.
The notice published by Parliament identifies the department concerned and the timetable for consideration. It does not provide the monetary value or a detailed breakdown of the proposed estimate.
Those figures will need to be checked against the document presented to Parliament and the corresponding Order Paper.
20 October: Presentation of Supplementary Estimate No. 06 of 2026.
21 October: Debate and proposed approval of the supplementary estimate and a resolution under the Public Debt Management Act.
Department concerned: Department of Development Finance.
Parliament has indicated that the supplementary estimate will be included in Order Paper No. 190, to be issued on October 21, with a suspension of Standing Order 27 for the relevant motion.
The amount, allocation purpose and financing arrangements cannot be established from the parliamentary timetable alone.
Public debt returns to the agenda
The separate debt resolution arrives as Sri Lanka continues to manage its public borrowing following the country’s debt restructuring process.
Earlier Lakbima News reporting based on Public Debt Management Office figures examined changes in the composition of government liabilities during the first six months of 2026.
Those figures showed that the country’s external government debt increased between December 2025 and June 2026, even as commercial external borrowing declined.
The precise terms of the new parliamentary resolution will determine whether it concerns a borrowing limit, a particular debt operation or another matter covered by the Public Debt Management Act.
There is no basis in the scheduling notice to treat the debt resolution and the supplementary estimate as the same financial transaction.
Both matters are scheduled for consideration on October 21, following presentation of the supplementary estimate the previous day.
