Sri Lanka plans to increase its defence spending

Sri Lanka is planning to increase its defence spending by 45 per cent next year amid escalating violence between Govt and LTTE.

Sri Lanka is planning to increase its defence spending by 45 per cent next year amid escalating violence between government forces and the Tamil Tiger rebels.

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The government's budget estimates presented to the parliament today showed that defence spending would increase to Rs 139.55 billion ($1.39 billion) from an estimate of Rs 96.21 billion ($962 million) in 2006 and military purchases set to go up three fold.

The security forces capital spending jumped almost three-fold from 12 billion rupees to 32 billion rupees with the army, navy and the airforce budgets zooming while capital spending by the police showed a decline.

The high defence expenditure comes in the backdrop of upsurge in violence between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels despite a truce that is in place since February 2002.