sri lanka budget 2008 nov 07

The 2008 budgetary allocations for the Office of the President will be doubled to more than Rs 5.75 billion — with about Rs. 1.43 billion of this going for a new category called `development activities`. The Appropriation Bill for next year gives few if any details of new `development activities`.  The money will come by way of Rs. 2.54 billion in recurrent expenditure while capital expenditure has been divided into two categories with Rs 1.77 billion for operational activities and Rs 1.43 billion for development activities. In 2007, the total amount allocated to the Office of the President was a little more than Rs 2.07 billion and there was no category called `development activities.`  Meanwhile more than Rs. 324.8 billion from next year`s budgetary allocations, more than one fifth of the total budget, will go for ministries coming under the purview of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. These include the Ministries of Defence, Nation Building, Finance and Planning, Plan Implementation and Religious Affairs and Moral Upliftment. Of this amount, the ministries of Defence, Public Security, Law and Order will get over Rs 166.4 billion compared to Rs 139 billion last year. This includes allocations for the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Police and Civil Security Departments.  The Finance and Planning Ministry and departments coming under it will get nearly Rs 100 billion, up from 51.48 billion last year while the Ministry of Nation Building which includes the Samurdhi and Upcountry Peasantry Rehabilitation Departments will get nearly Rs. 55 billion.  The Religious Affairs and Moral Upliftment Ministry under which the Public Trustee Department as well as the Departments of Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Muslim Affairs come will get Rs 1.2 billion slightly up from the Rs 1.07 billion last year. The Ministry of Plan Implementation will get nearly Rs 182 million for 2008 up from around Rs 164 million in 2007. The recurrent expenditure for the Office of the Prime Minister is going up from Rs 123 million in 2007 to around Rs 143 million for 2008 but capital expenditure has come down from Rs 53.4 million this year to Rs 45.3 million for 2008.  The government has also allocated separate funds for the north and east provincial councils for 2008 with more Rs. 10 billion for the Eastern PC and Rs 9.8 billion for the Northern PC. Last year about Rs. 17.1 billion was allocated for the single North East PC.  The Government is seeking parliamentary approval to raise Rs 925 billion for next year as it has already got approval for Rs 591.3 billion for its estimated total budgetary expenditure of Rs 1,516 billion for 2008. The Appropriation Bill be presented to Parliament on Wednesday and the Budget on November 7

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Khan steps out of the spotlight

AMIR Khan has escaped the distractions of Bolton by moving his training camp to Los Angeles.

The Bolton hero, still reeling from his shock 30-second destruction by Breidis Prescott, believes he has made the right move.

Khan makes his comeback at London’s Excel Arena on December 6 as chief support to Dagenham fighter Nicky Cook, who will be making the first defence of his WBO super-featherweight title.

The lightweight has now linked up with top trainer Freddie Roach at his Wild Card gym in California to focus on his boxing and get away from the trappings of stardom at home.

Some in the Khan camp felt the 21-year-old was spending too much time on celebrity appearances and charity and community events in the run-up to his quickfire KO by Prescott.

Khan sacked Cuban trainer Jorge Rubio following that one fight and after searching the US for a replacement, plumped for Roach, whose charges have included Mike Tyson, Oscar de la Hoya and Bernard Hopkins as well as current world pound-for-pound number one Manny Pacquiao.

And Khan is enjoying the freedom and relative obscurity of life away from the British media spotlight and in a learning environment.

“It’s been great out here, I’m not distracted with anything outside of boxing and all I do is train and learn,” he said.

“I’m working on so much stuff with Freddie that I’m going home more mentally tired than physically tired!”

Khan believes he will learn from the Prescott defeat, and that we will see a more measured boxer in future.

“Although the loss to Prescott was a big blow, it was perhaps the best thing that could have happened to me because it made me realise I had to change things and I’ve made the right move to Freddie,” he said.

“I’m really looking forward to my comeback fight and showing everyone that I am back and have even more determination to reach the top.”

Promoter Frank Warren, who approved of the link-up with Roach, said: “All eyes will be on Amir in his first fight back and he needs to prove that he is a better fighter, which I’m sure he will do.”