- Concluding his budget speech, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the government will ensure justice for every rupee of taxpayers and vowed to create a society where everyone is afraid to take bribes.
Emphasizing that this Government will not tolerate corruption among its ranks, the President said those who attempt to receive bribes should be afraid.
- The President says the liberalization of motor vehicle imports, which opened on 01 February 2025, is expected to deliver a bulk of the revenue gains for the year 2025.
- President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has announced that the government has decided not to pursue the Imputed Rental Income Tax agreed by the previous administration.
- The President says the use of Point-of-Sale (POS) machines across businesses, especially in VAT-registered enterprises, will be implemented as a key initiative to facilitate digital transactions and reduce cash dependency.
- President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says the tax policy measures are expected to enable Sri Lanka to meet the revenue targets of 15.1 per cent of GDP in 2025.
He further said steps will be taken toward digitalizing tax systems to reduce leakages and enhance transparency while minimizing human interactions in tax administration.
- The President says pension increases for all retirees who retired before 01 January 2020, will be implemented in three phases.
- President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that the government will intervene to increase the daily wages of plantation workers to Rs. 1,700.
- The President says Employers’ Associations have already agreed to increase the monthly Minimum Wage for Private Sector workers from Rs. 21,000 to Rs. 27,000 in April 2025.
He further said the wages will be increased to Rs. 30,000/- from 2026.
- President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that the government had decided to increase the salary for public sector employees, raising the basic salary from Rs. 24,250 to Rs. 40,000.
He said the salary hike will be implemented in three phases.
- President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says recruitment, promotions, and transfers in the public service will be strictly based on qualifications and skills, devoid of political influence.
Announcing that Rs 10,000 million has been allocated to fill essential vacancies in Public Service, he said the government will implement a strategic recruitment plan to hire 30,000 individuals in essential public service roles starting this year.