News
NPF: Speaker using residences, vehicles, fuel beyond his official entitlement: Parliament SG’s office denies allegations
The New People’s Front (NPF) over the week lodged a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), that Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne was using three state-owned vehicles and two official residences beyond his official entitlement.
NPF leader Sugeeswara Bandara has alleged in his complaint that the Speaker and his personal staff are misusing public funds.
Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne’s Office yesterday (06) said that the Speaker was entitled for 900 litres of petrol a month. Members of the Cabinet-of-Ministers, too, receive 900 litres of fuel, the Speaker’s Office said.
A senior spokesman for the Speaker’s Office said so when The Island sought Dr. Wickremaratne’s response to the NPF’s allegation.
The Secretary General’s Office emphasised that Dr. Wickremaratne, in his capacity as the Chairman of the House Committee, on 02 May, 2025, decided to limit the Speaker’s fuel allocation to 900 litres. Earlier, there hadn’t been any restrictions on the Speaker at all, the Secretary General’s Office said.
According to the statement, the Speaker used two vehicles, bearing CAN 8753 and CBI 5198, whereas the Speaker’s media unit has been assigned NC 4923.
The Speaker’s personal staff consisted of eight persons. Of them, the Speaker’s Private Secretary, Coordinating Secretary, Media Secretary and Public Relations Officer were entitled to official vehicles and fuel allowances in terms of the respective government circulars, the Secretary General’s Office said.
The Secretary General’s Office also stressed that the Speaker refrained from using the Speaker’s official residence while all official level meetings were held in Parliament.
According to the statement, the Speaker resided at Lauries Road, Colombo 4, and the house rent was paid by him, in terms of the Public Administration circular 22/2006 dated 2007.04. 20.
New People’s Front leader Sugeeswara Bandara reiterated that his party stood by the complaint lodged with the CIABOC.
The Speaker’s Office said that legal action was being contemplated in this regard.
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers has been granted at their meeting held on 19.05.2025 in order to introduce amendments to the Inland Revenue Act No. 24 of 2017 including the proposed tax revisions to enhance the tax structure paving way for state financial integrity based on revenue.
Accordingly, the revised draft bill has been prepared by the legal draftsman and clearance of the Attorney General has been received.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval for
the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Policy Planning and Economic Development to publish the aforementioned draft bill in the government gazette notification and subsequently, forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
The National Mineral Policy was prepared for the first time in the year 1999, and the aforementioned policy has been amended in 2023 to cover matters such as preparing an updated data system related to mineral resources, adding value to the export of minerals, encouraging mineral-related industrialists, extracting mineral resources and managing the environment sustainably, and resolving the issues related to the ownership of the land arising in extracting mineral resources.
The revised National Mineral Policy has been reupdated in line with the manifesto “A Sustainable Resource Utilization – Generation of the Highest Benefit” under the policy statement of the current government” A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life.”
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution presented by the Minister of Industries and
Entrepreneurship to implement the so-formulated “National Mineral Policy—2026.”
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