The Appropriation Bill for the 2027 financial year has been published in the Government Gazette, setting out an estimated Rs. 4.99 trillion in service expenditure for Government Ministries and Departments and capping net Government borrowings for the year at Rs. 3.8 trillion.
The Bill, published as a Gazette Extraordinary Supplement dated 18 September, 2026, by order of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as Finance, Planning and Economic Development Minister, seeks Parliamentary authority for the Government’s service expenditure for the period 1 January to 31 December, 2027, and for related borrowing.
The Bill fixes the Government’s estimated service expenditure for the 2027 financial year at Rs. 4.99 trillion, to be met from the Consolidated Fund, Government funds, or borrowings, and chargeable in accordance with the First Schedule to the Bill.
The same clause estimates the Government’s statutory expenditure, meaning expenditure that other laws already charge to the Consolidated Fund independent of this Bill, at Rs. 4.92 trillion for the same period, set out in the Second Schedule. Added together, the two figures bring total Government expenditure provided for under the Bill to approximately Rs. 9.92 trillion.
The Bill separately caps the net outstanding balance of borrowings raised by or on behalf of the Government during the 2027 financial year at not more than Rs. 3.8 trillion, with details of such borrowings required to be included in the final Budget position report tabled in Parliament under Section 51 of the Public Financial Management Act, No. 44 of 2024.
Notably, Provincial Councils (Heads 312-319 and 321) are budgeted as a distinct block within the First Schedule at Rs. 574.95 billion recurrent and Rs. 85.00 billion capital, a combined Rs. 659.95 billion, rather than being folded into the Public Administration Ministry’s own Rs. 651billion figure above, even though Provincial Councils fall within that Ministry’s named portfolio.
Counted together, the Ministry’s effective allocation would rise to roughly Rs. 1.31 trillion, ahead of Finance. The bulk of the Public Administration Ministry’s own Rs. 651 billion is driven by the Department of Pensions, which alone accounts for Rs. 550.35 billion.
The Bill follows Cabinet approval on 15 September and clearance by the Attorney General. According to the Finance Ministry’s published timetable, the Bill’s First Reading in Parliament is scheduled for 7 October, with the Second Reading and Budget speech to follow on 12 November and the Committee Stage debate expected to run until 14 December.