Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said in Parliament that while the Government has brought forward a Bill to abolish pensions for Members of Parliament, it has failed to address the pressing concerns of hundreds of thousands of retirees across the country.
Premadasa stated that he believes MPs should be entitled to a pension, arguing that in many democratic nations such provisions help minimise corruption and provide social security for public representatives after their term in office.
He questioned why the Government is focusing on scrapping MP pensions while remaining unclear on relief for nearly 750,000 pensioners. He pointed out that around 154,000 public servants who retired between 2020 and 2024 have not received proper adjustments despite salary increases announced for 2025–2027.
According to the Opposition Leader, disparities created through various committee recommendations have left many retirees without benefits, while pension anomalies remain unresolved.
He also alleged that interest concessions previously granted on senior citizens’ savings had been reduced and that promised electricity tariff reductions have not been implemented.
Premadasa made these remarks during today’s parliamentary debate. (Newswire)