“WILL NOT ALLOW SALARY HIKE FOR MPS”

President Maithripala Sirisena strongly said that he would never allow the salaries of Parliamentarians including Ministers, to be increased.

The President said even though the Sunday newspapers published that the decision had been made to increase the salaries of Parliamentarians with the consent of all the party leaders, it should be submitted to the Cabinet and that he would never allow it to be approved.

During the past three years, the Government had taken steps to increase the salaries and allowances of Ministers and Members of Parliament several times and that he had firmly rejected proposals to increase his salary as the President himself He said that it was not appropriate to increase the salaries of the Ministers and MPS at the present time, when the Government was trying to find solutions for many problems, including the rising cost of living

President Sirisena said during the past three years, the Government had taken steps to increase the salaries and allowances of Ministers and Members of Parliament several times and that he had firmly rejected proposals to increase his salary as the President himself.

He said that it was not appropriate to increase the salaries of the Ministers and MPS at the present time, when the Government was trying to find solutions for many problems, including the rising cost of living.

He made these remarks speaking at an event to declare open the Pibidemu Polonnaruwa Shopping Complex at the Hospital Junction, Polonnaruwa on Saturday (04).

The new shopping complex was built at a cost of Rs. 64 million to replace the shops demolished to construct the new four-lane road in the Polonnaruwa Town, the President’s Media Division reported.

Polonnaruwa Mayor Chanaka Ranasinghe, Chairman of the Thamankaduwa Pradeshiya Sabha Premasiri Munasinghe and the Chairman of the trader community Aruna Basnayaka and others were present.