MPs upset over bad rap for P’ment expenses

• Say expenses of over 1000 P’ment staff wrongfully placed on MPs
• Requests Speaker to disclose detailed expenses to P’ment to update public  

Government lawmakers yesterday claimed they were being given a bad rap due to the operational expenses of Parliament also being attributed to parliamentarians, and requested the Speaker to disclose a detailed report to update the public.

Highlighting the considerable amount of money spent for Parliamentary staff, compared to 225 lawmakers, United National Party (UNP) lawmaker S.M. Marikkar said: “It is unfair to add the food cost borne for over 1,000 Parliament staff to the lawmakers’ account. The Parliament sits only eight days per month, and all 225 lawmakers are not present in the Parliament on any given date, apart from the Budget Day. In fact, they perhaps have two meals in Parliament on around four days out of the eight days. And that too is not extravagant food. But the public is made to believe that all this expense is for the benefit of the 225 MPs, and as such they are cursing us.”

According to MP Marikkar, the Parliament staff who receive their meal and tea on all working days regardless of Parliament sittings, said: “We urge the Speaker to take measures to reveal to the country the true expenses of Parliament. Otherwise, the public is made to believe that these 225 MPs are spending such a colossal amount on their meals, without knowing who else is consuming.”

Commending the request for detailed information, UNP MP Prof. Ashu Marasinghe held that it was of vital importance to clarify to the public the true expenses of Parliament, and rectify the misconception among the general public about parliamentary expenses. (AH)