The Government has decided that 50 “luxury” official residences set aside for cabinet ministers will be utilised for other purposes that will bring revenue to the state.

No minister in the current government would move into the luxury residences, Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananda Wijepala told the media. 

Instead, they would be used by other government departments or utilised for tourism purposes, he added.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption is to be allocated one of the residences as it has requested new premises owing to space constraints in the present building.

The other houses too will be allocated on a case-by-case basis. “Given the massive amount of public funds that have already been spent on these residences, we are studying the revenue-generating avenues,” the minister said. He assured that the residences would be utilised “for the good of the people.”

MPs would be given “modest” quarters either at the Madiwela housing complex for MPs or similar housing complexes, with priority being given to MPs who live far from Colombo. Since the number of quarters at the Madiwela housing complex is insufficient, several unmarried MPs are occupying one housing unit, the minister revealed.

Speaking on other steps the government has taken to reduce the “excessive privileges” granted to MPs, Minister Wijepala noted that the Government had already abolished vehicle permits for politicians.

“The practice is for the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs to issue a circular granting vehicle permits to MPs of the new Parliament. I won’t be issuing that circular. We have stopped the practice of granting such excessive privileges using public funds,” the minister said.

The Government will allocate official vehicles to MPs from the available vehicle pools. They will have to return those vehicles when they cease to become MPs.

Meanwhile, the Government is also set to introduce legislation that will revoke pensions granted to MPs and their personal parliamentary staff, who are eligible to receive pensions after just five years, he revealed. “This (pension) is unfair given that public servants have to work many years before being eligible for pensions. This is an excessive privilege for MPs, and we have taken a decision to abolish it,” he said.

(The Sunday Times)
(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by The Sunday Times has not been edited by SLM staff)