Day five of the committee stage debate of the 2022 Budget will get underway in Parliament today.
Parliament is due to convene at 9.30an while budget debate will begin at 10am.
Meanwhile, the expenditure heads of the Ministries of Agriculture and Irrigation and five State Ministries were passed in Parliament yesterday.
Speaking during the debate yesterday, State Minister Anuradha Jayaratne said the government will take forward its development agenda despite criticism.
State Minister Jayaratne said the government may have failed in some avenues and had their fair share of shortcomings, but stressed that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was appointed by the people to take the country in a new direction.
He stressed that the government is ready to face many negative criticisms in the pursuit of development.
The State Minister of Irrigation Development related to Rural Paddy Fields said they have guaranteed water for farmers to meet their targets in cultivation despite much criticism from various stakeholders.
State Minister Jayaratne said they were able to ensure facilities for farmers to cultivate in both seasons as they were aided by the development in irrigation.
He stressed that all this was made possible through projects to uplift irrigation.
Parliamentarian Chaminda Wijesiri meanwhile said rural farmers have been burdened due to low income and are struggling to feed their families.
Despite calls from the government faction blaming this situation on the pandemic, the MP stressed that the current economic crisis and agricultural issues were the governments doing.
He warned that the country will have to face the repercussions of today’s decisions at a much later date.
MP Wijesiri warned that the hardworking public would bear the brunt of bad decisions taken by government leaders.
