Srilanka, Feb. 18 -- Sri Lanka yesterday introduced a national budget aimed at balancing fiscal discipline with economic revival, while addressing the gap between the struggling households and long-term growth ambitions.

Calling it a "historic budget", President Anura Kumara Dissanayake delivered a two-and-a-half-hour speech, outlining proposals largely aligned with the expectations of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which will be looking at the document before approving the third review next month.

He emphasised that the budget lays the foundation for fulfilling the people's aspirations for economic transformation by steering the economy towards sustainable growth and development. The primary focus is on inclusive economic grow...