Nearly 50 Members of Parliament, including Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, have formally refused their fuel allowances, but confusion over delays in official letters sparked false claims that some ministers were receiving double benefits.
In a significant move reflecting growing public pressure on perks for lawmakers, 48 MPs have requested Parliament to stop issuing their monthly fuel allowances. Out of them, 13 made their requests effective from March 2025, another 16 followed in April, while the remaining MPs opted out progressively between May and August. Several senior ministers, including Ramalingam Chandrasekara, Wasantha Samarasinghe, Anil Jayantha, Dammika Patabendi, Namal Karunaratne, and Upali Samarasinghe, had already informed Parliament since September last year that they would not be accepting the allowance.
According to information released under the Right to Information Act, Assistant Secretary General Hansa Abeyratne confirmed that Members of Parliament continue to receive their salaries and allowances directly to their bank accounts, based on written instructions provided. The full breakdown shows that MPs receive a monthly allowance of Rs. 54,285, along with Rs. 1,000 as entertainment allowance, Rs. 50,000 for telephone usage, Rs. 15,000 for transport, Rs. 100,000 for office expenses, and Rs. 2,500 per meeting attended. In addition, a fuel allowance is allocated based on the distance between an MP’s home district and Parliament, with National List MPs entitled to 419.76 liters of diesel each month.
Ports and Civil Aviation Minister Anura Karunathilaka emphasized that the government has adopted a new policy whereby ministers are not permitted to draw both a salary and fuel allowance from Parliament and their ministries simultaneously. Instead, ministers are now entitled to only one salary from Parliament while accessing fuel allocations strictly from their ministries.
However, due to administrative delays in dispatching the necessary letters, media reports surfaced suggesting that some ministers were receiving two fuel allowances. Minister Karunathilaka clarified at a press briefing that such reports were misleading and stemmed from the lag in formal communication, insisting that corrective measures were already in place.
This development comes amid heightened scrutiny of parliamentary privileges, as the country continues to navigate economic challenges. The voluntary withdrawal of fuel allowances by 48 MPs is viewed as a symbolic but important gesture toward accountability, though critics argue that deeper structural reforms are necessary. By giving up their fuel benefits, MPs are aiming to rebuild public trust, but public opinion remains divided on whether these steps go far enough.
