Strap: Rs. 2.5k attendance allowance when P’ment sessions are held and same when attending cmte. meetings on non-P’ment session days; fuel allowance per distance; medical facilities from J’pura Hosp.; P’ment Affairs Min. to bear allowances of MPs’ personal staff

Strap: MPs sans house within 40 km of P’ment eligible for house in Madiwela P’ment housing complex, with MPs paying monthly rent and electricity/water bills 

The Secretary-General of Parliament, Kushani Rohanadheera clarified that a Member of Parliament is not paid a salary but is entitled to an allowance. She explained that currently, an MP is entitled to an allowance of almost Rs. 54,000. Apart from this, they are also entitled to an attendance allowance of Rs. 2,500 for the days when Parliamentary sessions are held and an allowance of Rs. 2,500 for attending committee meetings held on days when the Parliamentary sessions are not held. She mentioned that the fuel allowance is based on the distance, which is calculated according to a formula. Furthermore, she highlighted that the Parliament and the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs have facilitated the reduction of the amount from allowances by providing them the medical facilities from the Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital, and mentioned that the relevant Ministry will also bear the necessary allowances for the personal staff of the MPs.

Rohanadheera also noted that MPs who do not own a house within 40 kilometres (km) from the Parliament are eligible to apply for accommodations in the Parliamentary housing complex in Madiwela. The housing complex includes 108 houses, which are allocated based on the order of requests submitted by the Ruling Party and the Opposition. She added that the MPs residing in these houses pay a monthly rent of Rs. 2,000, with electricity and water bills borne by the MPs themselves.

Meanwhile, Rohanadheera announced that an information counter will be kept open today (20) to assist freshly elected MPs with activities related to the first session of the 10th Parliament. The counter will be operational from 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. at the Parliament complex. It will provide MPs with essential documents, facilitate the issuance of Parliamentary identity cards (IDs), and record fingerprints for electronic voting purposes. 

Rohanadheera explained: “MPs can visit the counter in person or register online by providing the required information. Over two-thirds of the MPs elected to the Parliament are new MPs. In light of this, a three-day workshop has been organised for 25, 26, and 27 November to educate them on Parliamentary procedures, the expected behaviour, the dress code, the Chamber-related protocols, the Committee formats, and the rules of debate.”