The Sri Lankan Parliament has approved the second reading of the 2026 Appropriation Bill, following a week-long debate. The budget was passed with 160 votes in favour, 42 against, and 8 abstentions. Notably, principal opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MPs Mano Ganesan, V. Radhakrishnan and P. Thigambaram supported the budget despite their coalition being in opposition. The third-reading or Committee Stage debate begins tomorrow and will run for 17 days with the final vote scheduled for December 5. The 2026 Budget outlines total expenditure of LKR 7,057 billion, with total revenue estimated at LKR 5,300 billion, resulting in a projected deficit of 5.1 per cent of GDP.