Revocation of MPs pensions, duty free permits among decisions at AKD’s first cabinet meeting

A proposal for the revocation of the pensions and duty-free vehicle permits issued to Members of Parliament (MP) was included in the first cabinet paper presented by the new Government.

A senior official of the Presidential Secretary said that the proposal was in keeping with an election pledge made by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The official said changes that can be made by way of a circular such as cancellation of duty-free permits will be done immediately while the others will be done after the new Parliament is elected.

“There are some rules that have been made by acts of Parliament and we will need parliament sanction to change them,” the official said.

A three-member committee has also been appointed to look into how such changes can be made. The Committee has been given time till the end of the year to submit its report.

It has been decided that the MPs elected to the next parliament will be allocated vehicles from the fleet at the Presidential Secretariat and no new vehicles will be imported. The new rules will be applicable to those elected to the next parliament.

MPs are paid a pension after serving a five-year term and are also issued a duty-free vehicle permit during each term they serve in the House.