Parliament unable to confirm Chief Govt. Whip’s claim that sittings cost Rs.10 mn a day

Depts. of Catering and Housekeeping and Admin. account for more than 50% of total employees

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary General of the Parliament G.K.A. Chaminda Kumara Kularatne said that the Parliament was not aware of the basis Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga, MP, declared that a day’s proceedings cost Rs 10 mn.

Attorney-at-law Kularatne said so in response to The Island query submitted to Parliament in terms of the Right to Information Act (RIT) of No 12 of 2016. The Chief of Staff, who is also the RTI Officer, said that the Parliament declined to answer the query in line with the RTI Act 3(1) as it didn’t have the relevant information the newspaper sought. Kularatne received the appointment on Sept 19, 2023.

The Island on Dec 18, 2023, sought an explanation from Parliament regarding Gampaha District lawmaker Ranatunga’s declaration in Parliament that the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) squandered Rs 10 mn by sabotaging the special debate on the VAT (Amendment) Bill on Dec 10. The SLPP heavyweight said so during a heated argument with SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.

During Karu Jayasuriya’s tenure as the Speaker (2015-2019) the UNPer is on record as having said that a day’s proceedings cost taxpayer over Rs 4 mn.

Parliament responded to a set of queries posed by The Island on Feb 09, 2024 well after the stipulated period meant to answer RTI queries.

Responding to another query, the RTI Officer claimed it wouldn’t be possible to specifically disclose a day’s cost as such estimates weren’t made. Kularatne attributed their inability to the entire staff of Parliament reporting to work in working days other than the days’ sessions were held. Parliament meets eight days a month in the first and third weeks though this does not apply to the months of November and December in view of the budget presentation and the continuous debates.

Kularatne said that in the absence of an estimate of a day’s cost the queries whether at party leaders’ level decisions had been taken to reduce expenditure and for eight sittings in a month cost Rs 80 mn were irrelevant.

Asked for expenditure incurred during the last Budget and the total number of dates the Parliament met in that regard, Kularatne said that though sittings were held on 23 days (from Nov 23, 2023 to Dec 08, 2023) the estimated costs couldn’t be provided particularly because water, electricity and telephone bills were received monthly and advance preparations, too, have to be made.

Kularatne said that as explained previously, a day’s food and electricity costs couldn’t be estimated.

The Island also sought an explanation regarding measures taken by Parliament to reduce expenditure as part of the overall response to the continuing economic crisis. Kularatne emphasized that on the directions of the Speaker, leaders of all political parties, represented in Parliament, and the Secretary General of Parliament, all sections had taken measures to reduce expenditure incurred on water, electricity, air conditioning, fuel and stationery.

The official declined to compare the expenditure of the Sri Lanka Parliament and that of the region in terms of RTI Act 3(1). According to him, the query in respect of comparison of parliaments in this region was not covered by the relevant Act under which questions were posed to Parliament.

Responding to another query, the official said that as at January 23, 2024, the total number of Parliament employees was 847. According to the information received, the following is the breakdown of the setup: the Secretariat of Secretary General (07), Department of Serjeant-at-arms (126), Department of Administration 223, Department of Legislative Services (58), Department of Finance and Supplies (15), Hansard Department (72), Department of the Co-Coordinating Engineer (62), Department of Information Systems and Management (27), Department of Catering and Housekeeping (241) and Department of Communication (16).

Asked about information regarding overtime payments made to Parliament staff, Kularatne said that from February, 2024, drivers and assistants assigned for parliamentary staff had been allowed to make overtime claims. Earlier, overtime has been restricted to the drivers of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees, Kularatne said, adding that overtime was being paid in terms of relevant Public Administration circulars and Presidential Secretaries CA 1/17/1 and PS/CSA/00/1/4/1 circulars dated May 14, 2010 and Sept. 09, 2022, respectively.

Kularatne said that all expenditure, under the heads of Parliament, was subjected to the Auditor General’s scrutiny.