Chief Government Whip Nalinda Jayatissa says Rs. 7.5 million per month has been spent for six persons appointed under the Chief Government Whip’s Office in Parliament during the previous regime.

Addressing the Parliament yesterday, Minister Jayatissa said that the 49 months governed by the Gotabaya Rajapaksa- Ranil Wickremesinghe governments have seen over Rs. 377.3 million spent just for the Chief Government Whip’s Office. 

He further said that the appointments to the former Chief Government Whip’s Office include the Chief Government Whip, two Deputy organizers and three Assistant Organizers.

“Prasanna Ranatunga held the post of Chief Government Whip. The Deputy Organizers were Sagara Kariyawasam and Jayantha Ketagoda, while the Assistant Organizers were Kokila Harshini Gunawardena, Janaka Tissa Kuttiarachchi, and Madura Vithanage,” he revealed.

Stating that a government representative refers to a Cabinet Minister who is provided with a vehicle, fuel allowance and salary from the relevant ministry, Minister Jayatissa said these Deputy and Assistant Organizers had also received similar privileges under the former regime. 

“When preparing the NPP government’s budget, it was found that the Chief Government Whip was provided Rs. 16,250 as an additional allowance and 600 litres of fuel for a vehicle. The Deputy Organizers have been provided with facilities similar to that granted to a Deputy Minister, while Assistant Organizers were granted facilities similar to that of the personal staff of a Deputy Minister,” he said. 

Minister Jayatissa said that while a Deputy Organizer is entitled to a team of 15 persons, the previous Deputy Organizers held teams consisting of 30 personnel each, adding that the Assistant Organizers also held a team of 30 personnel, apart from the team offered by the Parliament. 

He further alleged that these roles have been granted by the former regime using Parliamentary funds to appease party members who were not given ministerial posts. 

Announcing that the NPP Government has also made appointments to the Chief Government Whip’s Office, MP Jayatissa said he will operate as the Chief Government Whip, while two Deputy Organizers and one Assistant Organizer have been appointed. 

He informed the Parliament that the five persons appointed to the Chief Government Whip’s Office would be working without obtaining the privileges taken by the previous appointments, such as vehicles or fuel allowances. 

Minister Jayatissa further said that the expense incurred by the current Chief Government Whip’s Office was Rs. 1.8 million for January, which was significantly less than that spent under the previous regime. (Newswire)

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Government expenditure has increased by 5.4 percent to Rs. 3,476.9 billion in the first eight months of 2024, up from Rs. 3,297.3 billion during the same period in 2023, according to a new Finance Ministry report.

The report stated that spending had reached 49.8 percent of the annual budget estimate of Rs. 6,978 billion, which includes Rs. 450 billion allocated for bank recapitalization.

Recurrent expenditure, which accounted for around 87.5 percent of total expenditure in the first eight months of 2024, slightly increased by 3.4 percent in the same period, the report revealed.

The increase in expenditure was primarily due to a 6.7 percent rise in salaries and wages, reaching Rs. 659.5 billion, driven by higher cost-of-living allowances, and a 2.2 percent increase in interest payments to Rs. 1,559.7 billion due to higher payments on domestic and foreign debt.

Additionally, spending on subsidies and transfers grew by 1.5 percent to Rs. 623.8 billion, while capital and net lending saw a significant 22.4 percent rise to Rs. 435.3 billion. (Newswire)

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A gazette has been issued stipulating the maximum amount a candidate can spend per registered voter in the upcoming Presidential Election.

The new campaign finance laws, passed in 2023 with the Regulation of Election Expenditure Bill, aim to hold candidates and their supporters accountable for campaign spending. The upcoming Presidential Election will be the first test of these regulations.

Accordingly, the Election Commission (EC) has set an expenditure cap of Rs. 109 per voter during the 2024 presidential polls. 

Each candidate is now permitted to spend a maximum of  Rs. 1.8 billion (Rs. 1,868,298,586.00) according to the new regulations. 

However, the law stipulates that only 60% of this amount, approximately Rs. 1,120,979,151.60, can be directly spent by the candidates themselves. 

The remaining 40%, totalling Rs. 747,319,434.40, is allocated to be spent by the candidate’s nominating party or individual. (Newswire)

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The government has taken a decision to analyse the expenditures of the ten (10) highest spending ministries, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said.

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), the President said the reports in this regard are expected to be submitted to Parliament in all three languages.

President Wickremesinghe further said that the steps have been taken as part of his government’s work on the national evaluation policy.

The President also noted that there is a big void in Sri Lanka’s system, such as the absence of a national policy and a significant drawback of a free market economy.

“We must have consistent policies. Parliament has appointed a committee that has given a report on national policies. Within this national policy framework devolution could take place,” he added.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe made the remarks addressing the launch of the National Evaluation Policy Implementation Framework at Temple Trees in Colombo. (NewsWire)

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