The Island
The Vote on Account seeking over Rs. 362 billion for the first four months of 2010 was passed with a majority of 47 votes with 125 voting for and 78 voting against it.
The UNP, JVP, TNA and SLMC voted against the Vote on Account, which included Rs. 197,478,109,000 for recurrent expenditure, Rs. 158,987,398,000 for capital expenditure and Rs. 6,222,467,000 for advance accounts.
A total sum of Rs. 362,687,974,000 would be paid from the Consolidated Fund for general services and also to the Advance Account.
A vote-on-account was submitted in place of an Appropriation Bill for expenditure for a period of four months commencing from January 1, 2010 as the government was preparing for the next parliamentary elections by April 2010. One third of the funds already approved by Parliament as Supplementary Estimates during the current financial year have been included on the vote-on-account. (SI)