COLOMBO, Jan 24: The government of Sri Lanka has put forth strict new regulations that limit the privileges extended to its ministers, a decision driven by growing public concerns regarding political favoritism and the need for accountability.
A directive issued by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Thursday confines Cabinet and deputy ministers to a maximum of two official vehicles.
New limitations have also been established for their fuel allowances as well as their monthly reimbursements related to office, residential, and mobile phone expenditures.
The staff members assisting a Cabinet minister are now restricted to 15, while a deputy minister can only have 12.
Furthermore, family members or close relatives are prohibited from being appointed as Private Secretary, Coordinating Secretary, Media Secretary, or Public Relations Secretary.
These regulations have been introduced during a continued discourse surrounding the pressure on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to vacate his official residence and relinquish personal security.
Rajapaksa saw his security detail reduced from over 300 personnel down to just 60 in December.
At a public rally earlier this week, Dissanayake criticized Rajapaksa, a two-time president, for residing in an expensive state-owned mansion.
“We will take back his house and only compensate him with a rent equivalent to one-third of his pension,” Dissanayake stated.
This remark sparked backlash from opposition parties, who accused Dissanayake of seeking political revenge against the individual who had ended the island’s long-standing Tamil separatist conflict.
“Mahinda Rajapaksa’s personal security is at risk. The government aims to leave him homeless,” asserted Sagara Kariyawasam, a spokesperson for Rajapaksa’s party.
The opposition contended that the privileges granted to former presidents are protected under the Constitution and formalized through legislation passed in 1986.
The new administration asserts that they are obligated to fulfill their election promise to curtail the benefits enjoyed by politicians. (PTI)
