Ravi Karunanayake, the Minister of Finance, presented the Budget for the fiscal year of 2017 to the Sri Lankan Parliament, a short while ago. 

•  Digitalis Education by investments
•  Theme of the 2017 budget is “Speedy development with returns for all”
• Prices of essential goods and fuel were reduced to support consumers
• Investment zones will be set up to support the private sector
• Medium term proposals to boost industry, agriculture
• Several proposal planned to attract investment, strengthen rule of law
• Finance Minister commences budget speech
• Improve the economy through ocean resources
• Special attention to aging generation 
• Special alternative pension much needed
• Need to improve accessibility for financial resources and opportunities for everyone
• Markets will be boosted for SMEs
• New investments for agrarian products much needed 
• National food development project is already in action
• 50 Million for agriculture cooperative loans 
• food research center for University of Wayamba
• 5 b needed for value added tea industry 
• Prime Minister has already appointed a committee on studying issues of value added tea industry 
• Remove fee for local registration of import taxes 
• Research encouraged in genetically improved coconut 
• 75 Million for CRI and Coconut Cultivation Board 
• Potential sugar production
• Speech is interrupted
• Resumed speech
• Sugar stabilization fund to protect sugar cane farmers 
• Investors in sugar industry will be encouraged in Moneragala, Batticaloa, Kilinochchi
• 81000 metric ton powder milk powder imported per year
• 15000 cows to be imported
• 400m to improve milk industry 
• Fisheries to be improved by value added productions
• 500m for development of fisheries 
• More jobs through "wevak sahitha gamak' programme - fresh water fishing 
• Automated commodity exchange for tea, rubber coconut at Rs75 mln cost
• Corn production should be developed
• 350m for poultry industry 
• Rs. 420 per chicken Kilo
• If not will allow exportation of chicken 
• 50m for flower plants industry 
• 30 Agro Metro Centers 
• Water for new land to cultivate
•  More money for education
• Special attention for all sectors in education
• Same treatments for all schools
• 13 years of schooling is a must and encouraged
• Smart class rooms - 6500m
• Invite telecommunication companies to provide Wifi
• New subjects to schools, specially on hospitality management
• New scholarship scheme for top performing school students, Rs2000 paid monthly
• international schools are not liable for taxes since it, hence it is concerned
• International schools to be monitored
• Agrahara extended to semi government schools
• Rs5bn allocated to provide Wi-Fi and Tabs for 100,000 graduates entering state Universities
• differently able children are given special attention with new teaching methods 
• Savings among school students encouraged
• Health insurance for children, premiums to be paid by the government 
• Tourism 100,00 and textiles 60,000 skilled labour requirement, this is a serious issue
• More students for universities 
• 2020, 50,000 more university students 
• More jobs for youth based on skills
• More varied subjects to university system
• Moratuwa Uni Formula team who were much appreciated in UK invited to parliament today
• PHD scholarships for skilled youth (at Harvard, MIT and Singapore universities)
• Lectures till night 
• More private universities 
• 15,000 top scored students who could not enter gov. unies provided loans
• Introduce community collages
• international students - multiple entry visa 
• Propose center for anti- harassment center  with 10m
• Scholarships in state vocational training institutes 
• Encouraged to expand curriculum in vocational training institutions   
• Further 750 m for health
• 1000m for patient care system 
• Castle Maternity Hospital in Borella will be upgraded under a PPP model with Rs3bn
• Upgrade nursing schools 
• Health institutions to visit schools every term 
• Pharmacies to be registered immidiatly and regularly supervised 
• Cost charged sheet to be provided for patients 
• Secured transactions to be established 
• Shops can be open till 11 pm, bus operators to support this
• Time to startup a company to be reduced to four days from 10 days
• Flexible working hours
• Well paid jobs for youth
• Amnesty for those blacklisted by CRIB with default credit history of up to Rs500,00
• Exchange Control Act to be repealed
• Salt industry to be improved
• 200% capital allowance for businesses in the north, 100% capital allowances for investment above USD3 mln excluding land in Uva or East
• GSP+ will be possible 
• Exchange Control Act to be repealed
• Incentives for high-tech equipment imports
• 75% waiver of PAL for construction sector
• New programmes to boost tourism and exports 
• Encourage Sri Lankan participation in international fairs in other countries
• 50m for annual "Colombo Fair" which will be starting from 2017
• 100m for Mega showroom 
• Mobitel to be public listed 
• Sri Lanka to be maritime economy hub 
• Logistical hub
• Bio technology research expand
• Product design engineering to be funded with 5m 
• 100m to expand "Nanasala'
• Eco tourism triangle already implemented
• Rs500 mln interest subsidy for hotel refurbishment
• Eco friendly airport for Badulla
• Online reservations encouraged
• 100m to local handicrafts
• Watersport equipments to be tax weaved  
• Tourist police to be mobilized 
• Luxury yacht services to be encouraged
• 6B for the development of expressways 
• Four wheel electric cars instead of 3 wheelers   
• 32 seat buses for school vans 
• School van and 3 wheel services to be monitored for better transportation services 
• Pipe-borne water to be increased for 12 mln consumers
• Encourage safe drinking water 
• CPC and Indian Oil to develop Trinco upper oil tank farm
• Multi-user facilitated telecommunication towers 
• CB regulation to improve for Pyramid Schemes
• Prepaid card scheme for bus users
• Financial Asset Management encouraged
• Divin Naguma to be further developed 
• Develop capital markets with enhanced security 
• New 500,000 houses to make everybody a home owner 
• 20B for housing loans
• Home ownership for people who have been living for government housing for more than 15 years 
• Sea sand extraction encouraged 
• 20% Sri Lankans earn under $2 and they are to be supported
• Samurdhi to be developed 
• Jana Isura Social support system 
• Agrahara for state pensioners up to life time  
• Regulations to be introduced to regulate private pension scheme 
• State bus, rail to be self-financing by 2018:
• Graduated granted loans for building up new companies with interest release 
• 4000m for vocational training for youth 
• More drug prevention programmes
• Small Companies to provided interest free loans  through District Development Committees  
• 250m International Veasak festival
• 'Piriven' to be developed.
•  50M to develop piriven
• 50M to preserve old Sl classic movies
• Loans for Rs300,000 for equipment for media personnel 
• 25M for Amaradeva memorial music ashram 
• 180 for national reconciliation programme 
• 174M for development of stadiums 
• Minimum wages for foreign workers- non-skilled - $350 and skilled $450 
• Re-employment of skilled workers to public sector to fast track projects
• Carder review to optimize public sector 
• 1500M for development of Seva Piyasa 
• Quick implementation of digitized economy 
• Court complexes to be developed 
• Wasa Wisanathi Ratak to be implemented 
• Government to bare 50% of house hold solar power loans (Rs1,500 mln)
• Gamen Rata Hadamu to be implemented
• 3000m to establish small tanks 
• Sathi pola development to be implemented
• 100m for presidents an  prime ministers offices to address various issues  
• Income tax to be streamlined
• Reduce indirect taxes to 60 percent from 80 percent
• Reduce price of Dhal by Rs10, potatoes Rs5, sprats Rs5, Kerosene Rs5, gas Rs25.
• Highway toll to be reduced by Rs50
• Customs to be modified and automated
• Tax incentive for exporting of vehicles
• Corporate income tax to be revised to a 3-tier structure 14%, 28% and 40%. WHT increased from 10% to 14%
• Recommend dry dock clearance 
• 100 largest companies are invited to partnered up with gov.