Austerity at the top: Cabinet Ministers to work without salary for a year

• PM-proposed move will save Govt. coffers Rs. 1.6 b 
• Cabinet Spokesman Bandula Gunawardena says ministers get minimal salary

Signalling austerity at the top, the Cabinet of Ministers on Monday have unanimously agreed to work without a salary for a year, considering the economic crisis.

The proposal to this effect submitted by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers at their meeting on Monday, spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardena said yesterday. Asked about the salary of a minister, Gunawardena said it was quite minimal of around Rs. 65,000. The move will save over Rs. 1.6 billion to Government coffers for the year, as monthly allocation to pay basic salary of 21 Cabinet Ministers is over Rs. 1.36 million.

Gunawardena also denied that the Ministers were getting allowances in addition to the monthly salary. “There are no extraordinary allowances that ministers enjoy. The major benefit is the fuel concession and all the other allowances as well as the salary are quite minimal to the assumptions,” Gunawardena added.

However, as per the Parliament website data, a MP gets a basic salary of Rs. 54,285 apart from various allowances including for entertainment, fuel, telephone and free postage.