RTI expose: Speaker’s monthly expenses 76% higher
The average monthly expenditure on allowances and other payments made to the current Speaker of Parliament, Dr Jagath Wickramaratne, has been 75.98% higher than the monthly average recorded for former Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, according to information obtained from Parliament under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The monthly average for Dr Wickramaratne stood at Rs 502,800.75, compared to Rs 382,068.97 for Abeywardena.
The comparison is based on average monthly expenditure as the two Speakers served for different periods covered by the RTI disclosures. Abeywardena’s figures cover 49 months, from 20 August 2020 to 24 September 2024, while Dr Wickramaratne’s figures cover 16.5 months, from 17 December 2024 to 30 April 2026.The allowances and other payments to Speakers include monthly allowances, sitting allowances, transport allowances, fuel allowances, entertainment allowances, committee allowances, telephone allowances and office allowances.
During his 49 months as Speaker, Abeywardena received a total of Rs 18,721,379.82 (Rs 18.72 million) in such payments, giving an average monthly expenditure of Rs 382,068.97.
The expenditure amounted to Rs 1,323,347.28 (Rs 1.32 million) in 2020, Rs 3,631,284.80 (Rs 3.63 million) in 2021, Rs 4,673,435.48 (Rs 4.67 million) in 2022, Rs 5,373,084.86 (Rs 5.37 million) in 2023 and Rs 3,720,227.40 (Rs 3.72 million) in 2024.
Dr Wickramaratne had received Rs 8,296,209.49 (Rs 8.30 million) in the same categories of payments up to 30 April. This included Rs 192,418.73 (Rs 0.19 million) for the period from 17 December to 31 December 2024, Rs 6,038,990.76 (Rs 6.04 million) during 2025 and Rs 2,064,800 (Rs 2.06 million) from 1 January to 30 April 2026.The expenditure was recorded over a period equivalent to 16.5 months, resulting in an average monthly expenditure of Rs 502,800.75.The RTI disclosures come as Parliament faces increased scrutiny over financial privileges and expenditure following a special audit conducted by the Auditor General’s Department.
The report, tabled in Parliament on 21 August, examined Parliament’s financial management during the Eighth and Ninth Parliaments from September 2015 to November 2024 and identified weaknesses in financial controls and the provision of certain privileges.The audit found that unlimited fuel had been provided to the then Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Deputy Chairperson of Committees and Secretary General, despite officials of comparable rank elsewhere in the public service being subject to prescribed fuel limits.
It also found that the Speaker of the Ninth Parliament had used an average of 3,994 litres of fuel per month in 2023, increasing to 6,122 litres per month in 2024. Expenditure on that fuel amounted to Rs 19.37 million in 2023 and Rs 26.05 million in 2024.
The latest RTI disclosures also come amid allegations contained in a complaint lodged with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) by Parliament’s Deputy Secretary General Chaminda Kularatne against Dr Wickramaratne.
In the complaint, Kularatne alleged that information sought under the RTI Act concerning Dr Wickramaratne’s personal staff, media unit, equipment, salaries and allowances, and official vehicles had been withheld following written instructions issued by the Speaker and/or his Private Secretary to Parliament’s information officers.The complaint alleged that provisions of the Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Act, No. 21 of 1953, had been invoked to prevent the release of the information. It further alleged that Parliamentary privileges relate to the legislative functions of Parliament rather than administrative matters concerning the Speaker.
