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How is the election budget spent?

The General Election is approaching, and the government expects to spend LKR 11 billion. This includes LKR 5 billion from the consolidated fund for 2024, with the remaining LKR 6 billion to be charged in next year's budget. This represents a 93% increase compared to the LKR 5.7 billion spent in 2020, although the government does not always spend the full allocated amount—it spent only LKR 5.7 billion out of the LKR 8 billion allocated last time in 2020 general election.  

In 2020, more than half of the expenditure was on salaries, overtime, and allowances for election staff, totaling LKR 3.2 billion (56% of the total expenditure). Other significant costs included fuel and vehicle rentals amounting to LKR 499 million, and printing costs of LKR 463 million. See Exhibit 1 for the full expenditure breakdown. 

Exhibit 1: General election expenditure 

Category 

Cost 

Share as a % of total expenditure 

Staff salaries, overtime and allowances 

3,205,284,448.52 

56% 

Fuel and Vehicle costs 

499,475,785.00 

 

Rent for vehicles 

263,464,532.40 

9% 

Fuel 

236,011,252.60 

Printing costs 

463,369,408.87 

8% 

Electricity, Telephone Water & other services 

374,944,883.63 

                               

Services including water and telephone; and other expenses 

186,956,579.56 

7% 

Electricity 

187,988,304.07 

Welfare expenses 

302,869,916.80 

5% 

Expenses like stationery / office equipment 

225,751,656.27 

4% 

Health safety material and equipment 

213,771,502.15 

4% 

Facilities at polling stations 

212,147,547.26 

4% 

Other 

229,967,810.69 

 

Advertising (inclusive of payments to Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation) 

52,974,076.00 

4% 

Accommodation, rents to buildings 

14,755,284.90 

Stamp and postage charges 

1,456,175.00 

Constructions and Repairs 

104,814,810.47 

Removal of illegal display boards 

55,967,464.32 

Total expenditure 

5,727,582,959 

 

Note

"Other" includes advertising, accommodation and building rents, stamp and postage charges, construction and repairs, and illegal display board removal

Source 

Department of Elections Sri Lanka Publication Report on Parliamentary Elections 2020. At https://elections.gov.lk/web/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Publication_Report_Par_Ele_2020_E.pdf [last accessed 11 November 2024] 

Department of Government Information Sri Lanka "Cabinet Decisions 30 September 2024." At https://www.dgi.gov.lk/news/cabinet-decisions/4704-cabinet-decisions-2024-09-30 [last accessed 11 November 2024] 

2024-11-12
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