SC determination on Appropriation Bill to President, Speaker
 

BY WASANTHA Ramanayake

THE Supreme Court will communicate its determination on the Appropriation Bill 2005 to the President and the Speaker.

The Bill was considered before a Bench comprising Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva PC and Justices Raja Fernando and Nimal Gamini Amaratunga.

Senior State Counsel Indika Demuni de Silva on behalf of the Attorney General submitted that the budget presented before the Parliament last month had been cancelled after the prorogation.

She submitted that provisions had been made to allocate funds for the fertiliser subsidies in the Bill. Another Bill titled 'An Act to provide for the Protection of Public Revenue' was also presented to the court for its consideration.

The preamble to the Bill stated that the aim of the Bill was to make provisions in the interest of the national economy to protect public revenue and to prevent any loss of such revenue resulting from delays in the publication of any order in the gazette imposing taxes, duties and levies under certain laws.