Government takes action: Sri Lanka limits benefits for ministers amid public outcry

The Sri Lankan government has announced stringent new regulations limiting the benefits afforded to its ministers, a move aimed at addressing public concerns over political privilege and accountability. A circular issued by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Thursday restricted Cabinet and deputy ministers to two official vehicles.

New Caps on Allowances and Staff

New caps have been placed on their fuel allowances and monthly payments for office, residential, and mobile phone expenses. The support staff for a Cabinet minister is limited to 15 and a deputy minister is limited to 12. Family members or close relatives cannot be appointed as Private Secretary, Coordinating Secretary, Media Secretary, or Public Relations Secretary.

Context of the Regulations

The regulations come amidst the ongoing debate over the pressure put on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to leave his official residence and forego personal security. Rajapaksa's security was slashed from 300 plus personnel to just 60 in December. Dissanayake at a public rally held early this week blamed Rajapaksa, the two-time president, for occupying a costly state mansion.

"His house would be taken and only a rent equal to one-third of his pension would be paid," Dissanayake had said. The comment drew ire from opposition groups who blamed Dissanayake for trying to take political revenge from the man who had ended the island's decades-long Tamil separatist movement.

Opposition's Response to Security Cuts

Mahinda Rajapaksa's personal security is under threat. "The government wants to put him out on the road," Sagara Kariyawasam, a Rajapaksa party spokesman, said. The opposition argued that privileges extended to former presidents are enshrined in the Constitution and enforced through an act of parliament approved in 1986. The new government maintains that they were duty-bound to implement their pre-election pledge to slash the privileges of politicians.

(Except for the headline, nothing has been changed by All India News Network in the PTI copy.)