Long-standing Parliament fuel scam exposed... but Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairperson of Committees still receive double allowances

Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih, who is also Chairman of Committees, and Deputy Chairperson of Committees Hemali Weerasekara, continue to receive fuel allowances as MPs, in addition to 900 litres of fuel, on par with members of the Cabinet and deputy ministers, sources familiar with the arrangement told The Island.

- SHAMINDRA FERDINANDO

The Speaker holds Cabinet rank while the Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairperson of the Committees are on par with Deputy Ministers.

Earlier, all NPP Ministers, including Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, and Deputy Ministers, had received 900 litres of fuel, as well as fuel allowances, granted depending on the distance between districts they were elected from, and Parliament, sources said. Those elected from Jaffna electoral district were paid the highest amount on the basis of distance from Jaffna to Colombo, sources said.

National List members had been paid under a different scheme as they didn't represent any district. The NPP parliamentary group consists of 159 members.

The NPP in the run up to the last presidential election promised to restrict the number of Cabinet Ministers to 25 and equal number of Deputy Ministers. At present there are 22 Cabinet Ministers, including President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and PM Dr. Amarasuriya.