“The monthly salaries and allowances of members of parliament must be increased.”
Above is an argument that has been put forward both within and outside parliament recently.However, what is the present status of the salaries and allowances paid to MPs.
News 1st made inquiries…..
- The base monthly wage of a member of parliament is Rs. 54,285.
- Each MP also receives a monthly fuel allowance which varies according to the district they represent. This figure ranges between Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 65,000.
- In addition, each MP also receives between Rs 80,000 to Rs. 100,000 for the wages of personal staff, Rs. 50,000 as a telephone allowance, Rs. 10,000 as a transportation allowance and Rs.1,000 as an entertainment allowance.
- MPs are also paid an attendance allowance of Rs 500 for attending sittings of parliament.
- Furthermore, MPs also receive Rs. 50,000 a month to rent a home, an insurance cover of Rs. 200,000, and the privilege of purchasing a vehicle valued at up to 62,500 US dollars or Rs. 9,375,000, exempt from tariffs.
- As such, each MP receives close to RS 200,000 per month.
It must also be noted that MPs who are appointed ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers, receive the benefits of that office.
Among the proposals that have received the most scrutiny at present, is the proposal to increase the insurance cover to Rs. 500,000 and the attendance allowance to Rs. 2,500.
Meanwhile, a sum of RS 1.2 billion has been allocated for the Prime Minister, through this budget.
Against this backdrop, the Chief Opposition Whip, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, noted in parliament recently that the government has also decided to grant another privilege to 58 selected MPs,
What views do ordinary citizens hold on the proposal to increase the wages and allowances of their representatives? We took to the streets…..
“I saw another MP saying that even this insurance cover is not enough and that it needs to be increased further. No matter what they say, the people must carry the burden.”
“They receive all the privileges from parliament and so at times I think that I should go to parliament too, because we live amid much difficulty.”
“I think that they are very innocent people living with much difficulty. Unlike us, they have no other way of living, which is why they are asking for an increase. Look at their expenses, look at how much they have to pay for lunch in parliament. So, by the gods, it must be increased without further delay.”
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