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Prices soar, MPs get more and more
View(s):While prices are set to soar with the increase in taxes this week, a Parliamentary Businesses Committee has approved extra allowances for MPs – costing millions of rupees in taxpayers’ money.
At a meeting on Wednesday, the Committee headed by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya had approved a proposal for hikes in allowances after considering requests from lawmakers who claimed they could then carry out their duties more “efficiently and effectively”.
The proposals will now be submitted to the Cabinet for final approval.
The new facilities include each MP being granted Rs. 75,000 a month as a rental allowance for maintenance of an office in his/her constituency, allowance for attending the meetings of the Constitutional Assembly during non-sitting days at Rs. 2500 a day and a daily allowance of Rs. 4,000 for attending meetings of Sectoral Oversight Committees with Rs. 5,000 for the chairperson of each committee.
The Committee also approved a proposal to pay Rs. 50,000 as an official telephone facility for each MP as the existing allowance does not provide for international calls and Internet. The telephones which are now in the name of the Secretary General of Parliament are also to be converted to the respective MPs, it was decided. The Committee had also decided to continue with the existing practice of providing stationery items for MPs.
It was also decided to grant an allowance of Rs. 50,000 each to the seven MPs who have been unable to obtain housing facilities at the MPs’ hostel at Madiwela. This is meant for them to rent a house close to parliament.
The committee members present at Wednesday’s meeting included Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala, Committee Chairman Selvam Adaikkalanathan, House Leader Lakshman Kiriella, Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan, Chief Govt. Whip Gayantha Karunatillake, Chief Opposition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, Ministers Mahinda Samarasinghe, Wijedasa Rajapaksha, MPs Dinesh Gunawardena, Douglas Devananda and Shanthi Sriskandarasa.