Prof. Athukorala on Budget: Well-structured on no structural change
In the past year, 31% was allocated for capital expenses, while 69% was allocated for recurrent expenses. There appears to be no change in these proportions for this year either. […] Therefore, compared to the previous year, there is no indication of a structural change in fund allocation this year.
Aruna | January 16, 2025
Posted on: 13 February, 2025
True
Minister Jayantha: “Too much interest” in the cost of debt restructure delay
With regard to sovereign bonds, due to just the significant delay in the restructuring process, we will have to pay an additional USD 1.7 billion as outstanding interest…What I would like to highlight is that we had to pay an unnecessary amount as interest due to these negotiations.
Parliament | December 5, 2024
Posted on: 10 February, 2025
Partly True
Sunanda Bandara bowls a wide on the widening trade deficit
[…] The gap between export earnings and import expenditure is gradually widening due to the country lifting all import bans except for vehicle imports in the recent past. […] The trade deficit of the first nine months of this year is USD 1,141 million more than last year’s.
| November 11, 2024
Posted on: 29 January, 2025
False
Shehan Semasinghe not-challenged on the not-a-challenge, vis-à-vis revenue-to-GDP
Raising the state revenue to 13.1% [of GDP] was not a challenge… [for the new NPP government].
Iroma TV | October 21, 2024
Posted on: 16 January, 2025
True
MP Rohini Wijerathna misses the forest for the trees on money printing
This [NPP] government too is doing the same thing that was done by the previous Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration. […] At the moment, the Central Bank is using the methods of term auctions and overnight auctions to print money. LKR 36.16 billion was printed last Friday [October 25] through the overnight auction. LKR 70 billion has been printed within the 7 days of the past week through the term auction. Excess liquidity has increased by LKR 55.4 billion in the past month [September].
Sri Lanka Mirror | October 28, 2024
Posted on: 10 January, 2025
False
EDB Chair overserves ICT role in growth of service exports
Last year, service exports recorded 3.1 billion dollars in revenue compared to 2022, reflecting a 69% growth, mainly driven by ICT, logistics, transport and construction.
Sri Lanka Business | October 16, 2024
Posted on: 9 December, 2024
True
Budget Burdens: Prof. Athukorala shows high ‘interest’
Accordingly, for interest payments alone, … LKR 2,651 billion in the 2024 budget. Accordingly, it is clear that relative to other things [expenses], a huge amount of money is spent on paying the interest on debt.
Aruna | October 31, 2024
Posted on: 21 November, 2024
True
Ranawaka uses incorrect calculation to make an incorrect claim on fuels
We heard on the election stages the claim that […] [they] would reduce the fuel price, remove/reduce taxes. […] Actually, around two weeks ago octane 92 petrol was brought into the country at Rs.195. Similarly, diesel, I mean regular diesel, was brought in at nearly Rs. 200. Even if we calculate according to the new prices, a huge tax–around Rs. 117 for a litre of petrol and around Rs. 83 for a litre of diesel – is being charged.
Daily Mirror Online | October 2, 2024
Posted on: 7 November, 2024
False
Prof. Jayantha explains govt. borrowing
[…] the Central Bank has issued treasury bills of LKR 465.1 billion during the period between September 27 and October 15, […] LKR 400 billion out of the total of LKR 465.1 billion has been utilised for debt servicing.
Daily Mirror | October 17, 2024
Posted on: 1 November, 2024
True
President Dissanayaka correct when corrected on software engineers
“Currently, there are 26 million software engineers in the world, but there are only 85,000 in Sri Lanka.”
JVP Sri Lanka YouTube Page | August 13, 2024
Posted on: 25 October, 2024
Partly True