Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Dr. Harsha de Silva has raised concerns over the government’s slow capital expenditure, warning that it could undermine economic growth and planned development targets.

According to de Silva, while the government has budgeted Rs. 1.4 trillion for capital projects this year, only Rs. 136 billion—less than 10%—was spent in the first four months.

He cited two main reasons for the delay: the initial reliance on a vote on account, which restricted the government’s ability to launch major projects or float tenders, and delays in disbursing funds to local government bodies due to the postponed elections.

“If current trends continue, Rs. 1.3 trillion out of the Rs. 1.4 trillion may remain unspent,” he said.
While higher-than-expected tax revenues have slightly boosted the primary balance, de Silva warned that the lack of capital investment could slow economic growth, potentially reducing the 5% growth seen last year to 3.2%.

He urged the government to revisit its capital expenditure plans, stating that without targeted investment, the desired economic and social transformation will not be achieved. (Newswire)

The post Harsha flags slow capital spending, explains economic impact appeared first on Newswire.

SJB MP Harsha de Silva says the result of the 2025 Local Government election has proved that the NPP government overestimated itself.

Taking to Facebook, the Opposition MP said that the 2025 election results point to a significant decline in the ruling government’s voter support.

“The drop in vote share suggests a weakening in the popularity of the government over a short period,” de Silva said marking what he described as the end of its “overestimation.”

The MP also noted that while the SJB has improved its vote share, it is not yet sufficient.

However, he expressed optimism that this momentum marks a new beginning. De Silva pledged respect for the current public mandate and offered conditional support to the government during what he said were critical moments for the country. (Newswire)

The post End of Government’s ‘Overestimation’ : Harsha on LG Polls appeared first on Newswire.

MP Harsha de Silva said that the Budget speech was a continuation of the previous government’s economic program.

MP de Silva said that while he doesn’t say that the program is wrong, it raises serious concerns about the government’s ideological stance.

“The JVP and NPP will have ideological questions to answer. What was discussed here was a neoliberal program. If they opposed such policies for 40 years but now accept them, what was the purpose of their past opposition?” he questioned.

“We saw no difference between this budget and the previous one,” de Silva said.

“If they now support establishing a holding company for state-owned enterprises or agree to the fuel and power pricing formulas, we must ask why they opposed them before?” The SJB MP said adding that the country could have progressed much earlier, if it wasn’t for their opposition.

“But if they now embrace a social market economy, we welcome that, and we see it as a victory,” he said. (Newswire)

The post Budget 2025 : Harsha reveals opinion appeared first on Newswire.