NO LUXURY VEHICLES TILL NEXT YEAR
MINISTERS, DEPUTY MINISTERS AND TOP OFFICIALS
Our people are undergoing immense suffering and this is not the time for such expenditure
In the wake of the massive devastation caused by landslides and floods, the Cabinet has decided to put off the purchase of luxury vehicles for ministers, deputy ministers and top officials until next year, Ports and Shipping Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said yesterday.
He told a media conference at the party office that on the initiative of President Maithripala Sirisena, the Cabinet had taken a number of decisions to alleviate the sufferings of the victims.
“The President told the ministers that it was inappropriate to spend on luxury vehicles at a time when the people are undergoing immense suffering due to the latest disaster and instructed them to go to their home districts or electorates to give leadership to the rescue and relief operations,” the minister said.
A supplementary Bill seeking approval for Rs.369 million to purchase new vehicles and renovate houses of ministers, deputy ministers and officials was presented in Parliament on Friday.
The President said the release of government funds must not be allowed to hamper flood relief operations and that district secretaries and heads of other government agencies must circumvent FRS and ARS should the need arise and authorised an increased payment for meal packets to displaced flood victims from the earlier Rs.230 to Rs.300.
The minister said the SLFP parliamentary group would donate their May salary for flood relief work and that the financial assistance provided by foreign governments would be used to build houses for flood victims whose houses were destroyed.
He said the payment compensation would begin after a thorough assessment was made on the number killed, injured and houses damaged or destroyed.