UNP Slams Budget 2027, Says Younger Generations Have Been Left Behind

The United National Party (UNP) has launched a sharp attack on the government's Budget 2027, with party Chairman and former Minister Vajira Abeywardena declaring that the financial plan offers no meaningful prospects for Sri Lanka's Gen Z and Millennial populations.

Youth Left Out of Budget Blueprint

Abeywardena, speaking on behalf of the UNP, argued that the budget falls critically short in addressing the aspirations and economic needs of the country's younger generations. He maintained that the fiscal document, as presented, does not lay out a credible path toward employment, entrepreneurship, or social mobility for those born from the early 1980s through to the mid-2000s.

The former minister's remarks reflect growing concern among opposition parties that Sri Lanka's youth — many of whom played a central role in the mass protests that reshaped the country's political landscape in recent years — are once again being overlooked by policymakers.

Opposition Mounts Pressure on Government

The UNP's criticism adds to a broader chorus of opposition voices questioning whether Budget 2027 adequately responds to the challenges facing ordinary Sri Lankans, particularly younger citizens still struggling with the aftermath of the country's worst economic crisis in decades.

The government has presented a budget that speaks to those already established, while leaving an entire generation without hope or direction.

Abeywardena's comments signal that the UNP intends to hold the administration to account over its economic priorities, with youth welfare and opportunity expected to remain a key battleground in the ongoing political debate surrounding the national budget.

As Sri Lanka continues its recovery under an International Monetary Fund-supported programme, opposition parties have increasingly focused on whether fiscal policies are translating into tangible improvements for the population's youngest and most economically vulnerable segments.