A damning special audit report has revealed sweeping financial irregularities in the operations of Sri Lanka’s Parliament during the Eighth and Ninth sessions, exposing unchecked privileges, outdated regulations, and millions in questionable expenditure.
The Auditor General’s Department found that Parliament continues to operate under the Parliamentary Staff Act of 1953, last amended in 1959, bypassing the Public Financial Management Act No. 44 of 2024, which governs all other budgetary entities to ensure transparency.
Unlimited Fuel Privileges
- Speaker: Consumed an average of 3,994 litres per month in 2023 and 6,122 litres per month in 2024, marking increases of 66% and 155% respectively. Fuel expenditure reached Rs. 19.37 million in 2023 and Rs. 26.05 million in 2024.
- Deputy Speaker: Received 21,299 litres of fuel worth Rs. 8.55 million for a private vehicle in 2023–2024, in addition to three official vehicles. These vehicles themselves exceeded allocations by 6,980 litres in 2023 and 1,515 litres in 2024.
- Chairman of Committees: Allocated three official vehicles with unlimited fuel, despite no formal entitlement.
- Secretary-General: Used 15,063 litres of fuel worth Rs. 6.07 million between 2022–2024, averaging 2,300 litres more annually than a Ministry Secretary, the highest comparable category.
Salary Irregularities
The Secretary-General’s salary, constitutionally required to be fixed by Parliament under Article 65(2), was last approved in 2004 at Rs. 274,920. Since then, it has increased by around 800% without fresh parliamentary sanction, creating a significant charge on the Consolidated Fund.
Transport and Employee Benefits
- Parliament spent Rs. 335.66 million since 2016 on a bus service for employees, operating without a written agreement with the Sri Lanka Transport Board.
- A further Rs. 5.89 million was spent on drivers and conductors from mid‑2021.
- The average cost per travel pass rose from Rs. 27,662 in 2016 to over Rs. 95,000 in 2023.
Foreign Travel Expenditure
- Rs. 208.9 million was spent between 2016–2024 to send 451 MPs overseas.
- Rs. 56.9 million funded 115 staff members for 83 foreign trips.
- No requirement exists for MPs or staff to submit reports on outcomes of these trips.
Other Irregularities
- Discrepancy between 25,103 books in the library register and 34,000 books claimed online.
- Concessionary vehicle permits worth Rs. 10.8 million granted to three employees before completing six years of service.
- 159 approved posts remained vacant as of December 2025 without review.
The Auditor General attributed these issues to Parliament’s reliance on outdated legislation and recommended urgent reforms, including aligning with the Public Financial Management Act, tightening controls on fuel and vehicle privileges, and securing formal approval for the Secretary-General’s salary. (Newswire)