Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya yesterday (19) revealed allowances and benefits provided to Parliamentarians at present. She made this revelation while responding to a question raised by SJB Opposition MP Chaminda Wijesiri.

According to the disclosure: An MP receives a monthly allowance of Rs. 54,285, with an entertainment allowance of Rs. 1,000 per month; the Drivers allowance is Rs. 3,500 per month. However, if the MP is provided a driver by the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry, no driver allowance is paid; Telephone allowance is Rs. 50,000, while transport allowance is Rs. 15,000 per month; Office allowance amounts to Rs. 100,000; MPs attending Parliamentary sessions receive Rs. 2,500 per day, while Rs. 2,500 per day is given for MPs attending committee meetings on non-sitting days; and MPs also receive a fuel allowance based on the distance from their elected District to the Parliament, and for national list MPs, this is calculated as 419.76 litres of diesel per month, paid at the approved market rate on the first day of each month.

Dr. Amarasuriya also emphasised that these allowances are structured to cover official duties and transportation costs.