An Interim Budget will be introduced before end January and all relief and welfare measures including salary hikes promised to the people in the Maithri Presidential Election manifesto 100-day programme will be provided, says Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake.

Minister Karunanayake said this during an exclusive interview with www.adaderanabiz.lk and added that the new government would continue the 2015 Budget adopted by the earlier Rajapaksa administration but with significant amendments.

While responding to the question on how he proposes to obtain the necessary funds to fulfill all these pledges even as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) continues to warn that Sri Lanka’s government revenue decreasing rapidly, new Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said this could be indeed done by bringing down to zero the prevailing corruption, fraud and mismanagement of government funds.

These much needed relief measures to the people could be provided without increasing either the budget deficit or interest rates.

Minister Karunanayake reiterated that providing these relief measures would not affect Sri Lanka’s economic stability.