A heated debate has erupted in Parliament after MP Rohini Kaviratna warned that the government’s move to pay estate company workers directly from the Treasury violates financial regulations and risks putting senior officials in legal jeopardy.
Matale District MP Rohini Kaviratna has formally requested the Auditor General, the National Procurement Commission, and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption to intervene in what she describes as a “serious procedural and legal error” by the Ministry of Finance. The issue centers on a budget proposal to allocate Rs. 5,000 million from the government’s consolidated funds to pay salaries and benefits to employees of major estate companies.
In her letter, Kaviratna emphasized that while improving the living standards of plantation workers is a national duty, the current approach is legally flawed and financially discriminatory. She argues that payments made exclusively to employees of large plantation firms violate the principles of fair financial administration and create inequality between major companies and smaller, privately owned estates.
She further noted that the wages of estate workers, which currently stand at Rs. 1,550, must be increased to Rs. 2,000 to provide a dignified standard of living, especially for nearly 40,000 plantation laborers who have lost employment in private sector estates. However, she stressed that such wage adjustments should be implemented through proper legal and administrative channels.
The budget proposal, presented under Statement No. 14, aims to “improve the living conditions of estate workers” by disbursing funds directly from the Treasury’s consolidated account. Kaviratna criticized this decision, calling it a “serious administrative blunder” made by Finance Ministry Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma, whom she described as inexperienced in public financial management.
Citing the Public Finance Management Act, Kaviratna pointed out that full responsibility for financial control rests with the Director General of Budget. She warned that if the proposal is implemented in its current form, senior public servants could face legal consequences similar to those previously arrested for procedural violations in public spending.
The MP recalled past incidents where officials, including Harsha Ilukpitiya, Charitha Ratwatte, and Chief Secretary Gammanpila, were arrested over financial irregularities despite acting under government directives. She argued that it is the responsibility of oversight institutions to identify and rectify such procedural errors before they lead to criminal prosecutions.
Kaviratna urged the Auditor General and relevant commissions to intervene immediately and provide formal observations to the Ministry of Finance and the Department of Budget regarding the legality of allocating consolidated funds to estate companies. She stated that while the goal of improving worker welfare is commendable, it must not come at the expense of the integrity of Sri Lanka’s financial system.
Concluding her letter, Kaviratna reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring that estate workers receive fair wages and benefits within a transparent, lawful, and administratively sound framework, calling on all responsible institutions to uphold accountability and prevent misuse of public funds.
