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Parliamentary expenses reach dizzying heights
By Dayaseeli Liyanage
While the Government is relentlessly trying to cut down the expenditure incurred in various sectors, its expenditure on parliamentary affairs and its members have gone up to dizzying heights.

The monthly salary of a Minister and MP is Rs. 22,100. They also receive a fuel allowance and entertainment allowance of Rs. 7,500 and Rs. 1,000 respectively. Rs. 2,000 is granted to each MP to cover the cost of their mobile phone bills.

The Government also pays for two personal telephones of MPs. Some of these phone bills run up to around Rs. 50,000 per month. Added to this, Rs. 500 per day is paid for meetings and committee-stage meetings attended by parliamentarians. Normally parliament meets eight days a month and about ten committee meetings are held. This adds up to an average of another Rs. 6,000 per month.

The Government is required to allocate additional funds while parliamentary meetings are held, as the food is supplied at a subsidised rate. A breakfast of a parliamentarian, consisting of string hoppers, noodles, bread, rathu kekulu rice and kiri buth, fish, chicken, potatoes, dhal, coconut sambol, chilly sambol, onion sambol, fried egg, omelette, scrambled eggs, half-boiled egg, full-boiled egg, bacon, sausages, jam (3 varieties), butter, Marmite, tea, coffee and fresh milk, costs only Rs. 6.00.

The lunch is Rs. 15, with a spread like Samba, Basmati or Kekulu rice along with fish, beef, chicken, five types of vegetables, vegetable salad, fried fish, courses, soup, bread, butter, mushroom and baby corn, with banana, pineapple, papaw, pudding, ice cream for dessert and also coffee.

On days parliamentary meetings are held, 250 kgs. of rice, 20 kgs. of Basmati rice, 50 kgs. of Seer fish, 200 kgs. of Paraw fish, 20 kgs. of prawns, 150 kgs. of chicken, 100 kgs. of mutton (for two days), 110 loaves of bread, 10 loaves of brown bread, vegetable worth around Rs. 13,500 and fruits worth about Rs. 21,200, 3 kgs. of sausages, 2 kgs. of bacon and 25 kgs. of Gila fish are prepared in the parliamentary kitchen.

The amount of money spent on meat and fish per day during meetings is about rupees one lakh. Food for birthdays and other parties held in the House are also funded by the parliament. The monthly electricity bill is about Rs. 3 to 4 million, while the telephone bill is about 6 to 6.5 million rupees.

The personal staff of a Minister consists of six, including a Private Secretary, Secretary - Parliamentary Affairs, Public Relations Officer, Assistant Secretary (Media), clerk and a driver, while the staff of an MP consists of four and their salaries and allowances exceed Rs. 10,000.

Meanwhile, a Provincial Council member receives only half the salary and allowances as that of an MP. The salaries and allowances of the Chief Ministers, Ministers, and members of Provincial Councils are borne by the respective Provincial Council Funds.

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