I participated in a pre-Budget discussion at the Presidential Secretariat this afternoon (4) to review the progress of projects being implemented under the 2026 Budget allocations for the Ministry of Justice and National Integration and to discuss proposals for the 2027 Budget. During the meeting, a comprehensive review was conducted of the physical and financial progress of projects implemented under the 2026 Budget by the Ministry's principal departments, statutory bodies and affiliated institutions. Future plans and proposals for the 2027 Budget were also examined in detail. Particular attention was given to the development of judicial infrastructure, including the progress of ongoing projects and those that were suspended following the economic crisis in 2022. The discussion also focused on strengthening the capacity of the Department of the Legal Draftsman by recruiting the required human resources and enhancing its technological facilities to improve efficiency. Special attention was also paid to the operations of the Government Analyst's Department, including plans to increase the number of analytical reports issued each month to 9,000. In addition, the meeting reviewed the progress of projects being implemented by the Department of Prisons under the Ministry's largest institutional budget allocation of Rs. 5,627 million. These projects include the refurbishment of prison buildings, the procurement of modern equipment and vehicles, and the development of software systems. Measures to further improve the welfare and facilities available to prison officers were also discussed. The meeting further noted that Sri Lanka has made significant progress over a relatively short period in several global governance indicators, including the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, the Absence of Corruption indicator, the Open Government indicator and the Fundamental Rights indicator.