It has proved to the average public more than once that politicians are the luckiest of the whole lot who walk on the earth and Parliamentarians of Sri Lanka are not an exception.
They are to get paid the full salary of an MP including all other perks such as fuel and mobile phone allowance and MSD security for the month of March and April for a few hours of job which was to participate in the emergency debate in Parliament.
MPs…
“Since parliament has been re-summoned to pass the Emergency Regulations yesterday, they will be paid the full salary with all other allowances. They will also be paid the full salary for April as the Parliament will once again be in session on April 6 to pass Emergency Regulations. According to the sub section 4.2 of Article155, Parliament is considered in session until the conclusion of the General election on April 8,” a senior official of Parliament said.
If Parliament was not re-summoned yesterday, all MPs would have been paid their pension from March.
Parliament business will be restricted only for a few hours at both occasions as the re-summoning is only for the passing of the Emergency Regulations. Parliament business restricted to 31/2 hours yesterday, he added.
An MP draws Rs. 54,285 as the fixed salary with a fuel allowance of Rs. 30,000, Transport Allowance of Rs. 10,000, and Entertainment Allowance of Rs. 1,000 and hand phone allowance of Rs. 2,000 a month in addition to Rs, 500 for every parliamentary session.
If there was no re-summoning of Parliament, the MPs were entitiled only to a 2/3 of their fixed salary excluding all allowances, the official said.
Forego March salary: Mervyn tells MPs
Minister Mervyn Silva yesterday asked parliamentarians to forego their March salary.
“We have met only once this month and as such it is not correct for us to take this month’s salary. I won’t take it,” he said.
He requested the media to publicize this matter.
However Minister Mervyn Silva’s proposal is a good one they should feel what they should really deserve.
MP’s salary system and their pension scheme should be revised comparing other government sector employee’s pension scheme, because if they are also government employees there should not be difference between other government employees.