Sri Lanka 2015 Budget Highlights

* Special allowance of university academics, doctors and judicial service employees to be increased. Pension and insurance scheme for trishaw drivers.

* Proposal made to increase the minimum salary of a private sector employee to Rs. 10,000 by 2015. Rs. 500 allowance to be added each month and the EPF payment from the employer to be increased up to 14%.

* Minimum salary of a state sector employee to be increased up to Rs. 30,000 from January 2015, inclusive of an increase of up to Rs. 2,200 in the cost of living allowance. Special allowance of state sector employees to be added to their salary.

* A special pensions scheme to be introduced for migrant workers. Monthly allowance given to elders to be increased up to Rs. 2,000 with effect from January 2015.

* Rs.3,000 monthly allowance for differently-able persons and a monthly transportation allowance of Rs. 750 for differently-abled children.

* Mahapola scholarship stipend to be increased upto Rs. 4,000 by 2015.

* 50,000 scholarships to be given to students from low income families unable to enter universities. Every student to be given a Rs. 3,000 monthly allowance.

* Teaching assistants to be paid a monthly allowance of Rs. 9500.

* A school based new teacher recruitment scheme to address teacher shortage.

* Financial allocations made to develop research facilities in national universities.

* Motorcycles to be provided to postmen at concessionary rates.

* Income tax and Customs Department systems to be computerised with effect from today and online services to be offered.

* A special Tax Scheme for motor vehicle imports instead of the current system.

* VAT to be reduced to 11% - payee tax limited to 16%

* Several proposals and financial allocations made to develop and uplift tea, rubber and coconut crops. Cess tax on rubber imports to be increased by Rs. 10 per kilo.

* Price of yoghurt and milk powder by local manufacturers to go down by Rs. 3 and Rs. 100.

* Every citizen to be provided a full medical checkup - Rs. 500 million allocated for a special programme to carry out early detection of various diseases.

* Special programs to be implemented to improve the quality of life of women and children of fishing communities.

* Rs.3,000 monthly allowance to be provided to those afflicted with the Kidney disease.

* Rs.1,500 million allocated to develop sanitation and other facilities of rural schools.

* Grade five scholarship beneficiaries to be given Rs. 1,500 instead of Rs. 500 they receive.

* Rs. 2,500 monthly allowance for pre-school teachers.

* Bank of Ceylon to be recapitalised by Rs. 10 billion next year.

* US$ 150 million to be reinvested on Sri Lanka's national carriers SriLankan Airlines and Mihin Lanka in 2015.

-dailynews