Speaker convenes special Parliament sitting on Thursday for Government to seek funds via supplementary estimate; prorogation to follow passage
The Government will present a supplementary estimate of Rs. 1,000 billion to Parliament when an emergency sitting of the House is held on Thursday, December 18.
The special sitting has been convened by Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne at the request of Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, under the Standing Orders of Parliament, to obtain approval for emergency funding required for relief work related to Cyclone Ditwah. The relevant gazette notification was issued yesterday.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake informed Parliament on December 5 that the Government would seek a supplementary estimate of Rs. 500 billion. However, a senior government source said this amount has since been doubled following revised estimates of welfare payments and the costs of urgent repair work.
The supplementary estimate is scheduled to be debated in Parliament on Thursday, December 18, and put to a vote on December 19. Following its passage, the House is to be prorogued until January 6, 2026.
According to the source, the supplementary estimate will cover the 2026/2027 budgetary year, with some infrastructure projects expected to extend into 2027. Immediate funding requirements include the provision of dry-ration and housing allowances, the conduct of land surveys for the relocation of displaced persons, and other relief and recovery activities.
Meanwhile, the President will tomorrow convene a special meeting of the National Council for Disaster Management, to which Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and representatives of all political parties have been invited.
The Council was established under the Disaster Management Act No. 13 of 2005, following the 2004 tsunami, but has remained largely inactive. Government sources said amendments to the Act are required and will be discussed at the upcoming council meeting.
The President serves as Chair of the Council, while its ex-officio members include the Prime Minister as Vice Chair, the Leader of the Opposition, relevant subject ministers, provincial chief ministers (or governors in their absence), and five Members of Parliament or experts appointed by Parliament.
The Council last met in August 2025 and, in the context of prevailing climate-related challenges, discussed the need to strengthen disaster management mechanisms, concluding that existing legislation must be amended to address contemporary needs and emerging risks.
Less than five months later, Cyclone Ditwah struck the country, catching authorities in a state of unpreparedness.
By Damith Wickremasekara
