COLOMBO, Oct. 28 -- Sri Lanka has recorded a budget current account surplus in the first nine months of 2025, marking a rare fiscal achievement as government revenues outpaced recurrent expenditure for the first time in decades, according to data released by the Ministry of Finance.

From January to September 2025, total government revenue rose by 31.1% to Rs 3,827 billion, driven primarily by a 32.5% increase in tax revenue amounting to Rs 3,563 billion, while non-tax revenue grew by 14.8% to Rs 264 billion.

Recurrent expenditure, including public sector salaries and welfare spending, increased by 11.2% to Rs 3,821 billion. Despite the rise in spending, particularly under the Aswesuma welfare program designed to support households affec...