The Sri Lankan government has again raised its defence to a record Rs253bn ($1.95bn) in 2014, over 4 years after the end of military operations against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
The latest figures were presented in parliament on Monday, and the defence and police budget make up nearly 12% of the government’s total spend of Rs2.54 trillion, which is slightly lower than the Rs2.56 trillion allocated for the current year, according to AFP.
Although the overall budget is lower in 2014 than in 2013, the defence spending has increased from Rs249bn to Rs253bn in 2014.
The full budget is expected to be published by Minister of Finance, Minister of Defence and President, Mahinda Rajapakse on November 21.