MPs’ pensions cost the public Rs. 34.8 million in January

Former MPs’ pensions cost the state coffers as much as Rs. 34,826,308.12 in January this year.Of this amount, Rs. 23,385,520.77 was allocated to 328 former MPs, while Rs. 11,020,666.14 was paid as pensions to 182 widows and widowers of former parliamentarians. Additionally, Rs. 421,121.21 was disbursed for the benefit of disabled children of ex-MPs.

This information was revealed in response to a Right to Information (RTI) request submitted to Parliament by the investigative team of the Factseeker group of the Sri Lanka Press Institute.

Former Presidents Ranasinghe Premadasa, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Maithripala Sirisena, Ranil Wickremesinghe, and current President Anura Kumara Dissanayake are also entitled to MPs’ pensions pension, as they had been members of Parliament before being elected President.

Accordingly, in January, the widow of Ranasinghe Premadasa, Hema Premadasa, received Rs. 75,166.66, while Mahinda Rajapaksa was paid Rs. 90,166.66, Maithripala Sirisena received Rs. 85,833.32, and Ranil Wickremesinghe was granted Rs. 85,166.66. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the incumbent President, was entitled to Rs. 78,690.00 as his MP’s pension.

However, President Dissanayake recently announced in Parliament that MP pensions would be abolished and he had declined to accept his own pension.

by Ranil Dharmasena