<ul><li>Speaker, Dy Speaker among officials granted unlimited fuel</li><li>Speaker draws 6,122 litres a month in 2024</li><li>Rs 8.55 m extra fuel for Deputy Speaker’s private vehicle</li><li>SG’s salary rises 800% without parliamentary approval</li><li>Rs 335 m spent on staff transport since 2016</li><li>Rs 209 m spent on MPs’ foreign travel</li></ul> &nbsp;A damning special audit report by the Auditor General’s Department has exposed a system of unchecked financial privileges at Parliament, with the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and other senior officials enjoying unlimited fuel and vehicle entitlements, while the Secretary General’s salary has increased by around 800 per cent without being re-sanctioned by Parliament for more than two decades.The report, tabled in Parliament on 21 August, has laid bare years of weak financial controls and questionable expenditure at the country’s supreme legislative institution, including Rs 26.05 million spent on fuel for the Speaker’s post in 2024 alone, Rs 8.55 million in fuel drawn for a private vehicle used by the Deputy Speaker over two years, and Rs 335.66 million spent since 2016 on an employee bus service operating without a written agreement.The special audit, the tenth report issued by the Auditor General under Article 154(6) of the Constitution, examined Parliament’s financial management during the Eighth and Ninth Parliaments from September 2015 to November 2024.It found that unlimited fuel had been provided to the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Deputy Chairperson of Committees and Secretary General, despite officials of comparable rank elsewhere in the public service being subject to prescribed limits.The Speaker of the Ninth Parliament had used an average of 3,994 litres of fuel a month in 2023, increasing to 6,122 litres a month in 2024. The resulting expenditure was Rs 19.37 million in 2023 and Rs 26.05 million in 2024.The Deputy Speaker had also been allowed fuel outside established limits. The audit found that 21,299 litres of fuel worth Rs 8.55 million had been drawn for a private vehicle during 2023 and 2024, in addition to fuel used by three official vehicles assigned to the post.Those three official vehicles had themselves exceeded their fuel allocations by 6,980 litres in 2023 and 1,515 litres in 2024.The audit further found that the Chairman of Committees had been provided with three official vehicles and unlimited fuel, although no formal decision had been made determining the entitlement.The report has also raised a serious constitutional issue over the remuneration of Parliament’s Secretary General.Under Article 65(2) of the Constitution, the Secretary General’s salary is required to be fixed by Parliament. The salary was set at Rs 274,920 with effect from January 2004 and recorded in Hansard in November that year.However, the audit found that no fresh approval had been sought from Parliament since then, despite the basic salary having increased by around 800 per cent over the intervening period.The Auditor General noted that this situation had resulted in a significant charge on the Consolidated Fund without the constitutional approval required by law.The Secretary General’s office was also found to have operated two official vehicles, KY 5555 and CAN 8753, simultaneously during 2022 and 2023.The two vehicles consumed 15,063 litres of fuel between 2022 and 2024 at a cost of Rs 6.07 million, which the audit calculated to be around 2,300 litres a year more than the entitlement of a Ministry Secretary, the highest-fuelled comparable category in the public service.The Deputy Secretary General, Assistant Secretary General and other heads of department had also been granted unlimited fuel for official duties and private travel allowances of up to 1,200 kilometres a month, compared with 960 kilometres for comparable officials elsewhere in the public service.No formal review had been carried out to bring these privileges into line with those applicable to other public officials.The audit found that senior officials who exceeded their private mileage allowances had been charged only Rs 8 per kilometre until June 2022, resulting in an estimated Rs 2.71 million loss to the State between September 2015 and June 2022.The rate was subsequently revised in July 2022 to reflect market fuel prices, after which excess use declined sharply.The report also exposed a long-running transport arrangement involving Parliament employees that had operated without a written contract.Nine buses have transported around 1,500 non-staff grade employees along nine routes under an arrangement with the Sri Lanka Transport Board dating back to 1984.Although Rs 335.66 million had been spent on the service since 2016, no written agreement had been entered into. A further Rs 5.89 million had been spent on drivers and conductors since mid-2021.The average cost per travel pass had meanwhile increased from around Rs 27,662 in 2016 to more than Rs 95,000 in 2023.Parliament also spent Rs 208.9 million between 2016 and 2024 to send 451 MPs overseas through the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Inter-Parliamentary Union and SAARC Parliamentary Association.A further Rs 56.9 million was spent on 115 staff members for 83 foreign trips.The audit found that there was no formal requirement for MPs or staff returning from these trips to submit reports on what they had learned or gained from them.The audit also identified several other administrative irregularities, including a discrepancy between the 25,103 books recorded in Parliament’s library register and the 34,000 books claimed on its website, concessionary vehicle import permits worth Rs 10.8 million granted to three employees before completion of the required six years of service, and 159 approved posts remaining vacant as of December 2025 without a formal review of whether they were still required.The Auditor General has attributed many of these problems to Parliament continuing to operate under the Parliamentary Staff Act of 1953, last amended in 1959, without bringing it into line with the Public Financial Management Act No. 44 of 2024.The report has recommended that the outdated legislation be reviewed and either amended or repealed, while calling for tighter controls on fuel and vehicle privileges and formal parliamentary approval of the Secretary General’s salary.With the Treasury allocating nearly Rs 3.5 billion annually to run Parliament, the audit has raised serious questions over the financial controls governing an institution responsible for holding the rest of the public sector to account.

Special Audit report on 8th and 9th Sessions: Audit blows lid off Parliament’s perks 

<ul><li>Says actual loss is lower and NSO figures provide correct picture</li></ul> Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka disputed figures presented by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) and the Opposition on losses allegedly caused by the use of substandard coal at the Lakvijaya Power Plant, saying the actual loss can only be determined by the National System Operator (NSO).Speaking to The Daily Morning, Karunathilaka said the NSO was responsible for determining the reduction in electricity generation caused by the problematic coal and identifying the source of the replacement power, whether diesel, naphtha or hydropower.“They are the ones who know where the reduced megawatts caused by the use of the problematic coal were obtained from. They know whether it was diesel, naphtha or hydropower,” he said.The Minister said the NSO had calculated the loss caused by the coal issue up to July and maintained that this was the correct figure, as the NSO was the only institution capable of determining how the electricity shortfall had been covered.“A loss has occurred due to the use of substandard coal. But the figure is not the figure mentioned by the Opposition or by the PUCSL. They have extrapolated data given by the NSO and made calculations up to September. That is not scientific,” he said.Karunathilaka said the Government had also taken steps to recover the losses from the relevant coal supplier, including encashing the company’s performance guarantee.“We have already encashed the performance guarantee of the relevant company. It is about 14.5 million US Dollars. Therefore, we have already recovered more than Rs 7 billion from the company. Steps are also being taken to recover the penalties applicable to each shipment,” he said.The Minister’s comments came after Opposition MP S M Marikkar alleged in Parliament that the import of substandard coal had caused losses of more than Rs 10 billion.Marikkar cited third-party testing conducted by Bureau Veritas International Trade Australia Ltd., which he said found that none of the 19 coal consignments tested had met the required calorific value of 5,900 kcal/kg.He also cited PUCSL figures claiming that reduced electricity generation had resulted in additional expenditure of Rs 8.536 billion on diesel and furnace oil between January and June.Meanwhile, the PUCSL had raised concerns over the impact of the coal supplied to the Lakvijaya Power Plant in a report issued in March 2026.In the observations section of the report on coal supplied to the plant, the PUCSL stated that the recently imported coal had resulted in lower generation capacity, higher coal consumption, increased emissions and a series of operational concerns.The report, seen by The Daily Morning, noted that the plant had not operated at full capacity when using the nine shipments received from the current supplier.Under the previous supplier, each unit had recorded an average gross generation capacity of 300 MW.

Minister disputes Rs 10 b coal loss claim

A new electric railway project covering Colombo and its suburbs is expected to commence next year, with preliminary planning for the project already completed, Deputy Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government Ruwan Senarath said.The proposed Colombo electric railway is expected to begin from Maradana and cover key areas of the Colombo metropolitan region, providing commuters with a faster, more efficient and modern public transport service.According to Senarath, the project is currently at the preliminary planning stage, with further work expected to be undertaken before construction begins.The proposed railway is expected to improve connectivity between Colombo and its suburbs while offering an alternative to the existing road-based public transport network, which faces increasing pressure from traffic congestion and growing commuter demand.The introduction of an electric railway system would also represent a move towards more efficient and environmentally sustainable public transport, while potentially reducing travel times for daily commuters.Senarath said the Government was working towards commencing the project next year as part of efforts to modernise the country’s public transport infrastructure.

Colombo electric railway project to begin next year

In response to recent court rulings and growing concerns over the declining number of tame elephants, the Government is working to establish a unified mechanism to regulate the use of elephants in peraheras, The Daily Morning learns.A special expert committee, including environmentalist Dr. Jagath Gunawardena, has been appointed to provide recommendations for a viable framework. The move comes as the number of legally registered tame elephants in the country has dropped to approximately 54, raising concerns that future peraheras may face a shortage of elephants if the issue is not addressed.Speaking to The Daily Morning, Deputy Environment Minister Anton Jayakody explained that no permits for the domestication of new elephants had been issued in recent days, leaving only those previously registered.“When new registrations are done, we are planning to train the mahouts to handle the elephants,” he said.While the number of elephants deployed for peraheras has become a pressing issue, the Deputy Minister assured that there was no plan to reduce the current number of elephants used in these cultural processions.“We have not finalised the decision yet, but we should have a proper, solid mechanism to have elephants for the peraheras. For instance, we can establish a separate unit from the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage to receive elephants for the peraheras,” he said.He added that a new gazette would be issued soon, providing a solid mechanism for deploying tame elephants for peraheras.When asked whether the Government acknowledges allegations that elephants are subjected to torture through decorative dressing and drill training for peraheras, the Deputy Minister said that peraheras and elephants were culturally bound traditions.He emphasised that the methods of using elephants should be more formalised and monitored, while reiterating that no reduction in the number of elephants used for peraheras would be considered.The comments follow a query raised in Parliament by MP Chamindranee Kiriella, who highlighted the gradual reduction in the country’s tame elephant population, many of which are now reaching 65 to 70 years of age.She noted that while the perahera tradition has continued for centuries, the Government must outline measures for elephant welfare and clarify its strategy to ensure the tradition is not undermined by the dwindling number of tame elephants.

Unified mechanism to regulate perahera elephants  

The Government is awaiting a report on the possible impact of El Niño on the fish harvest, as changes in sea temperatures and falling reservoir water levels could affect both marine and inland fish production, Secretary to the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Kolitha Kamal Jinadasa said.Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (23), Jinadasa said the Ministry had not yet received figures quantifying a possible decline in fish production, but had appointed a committee to assess the situation.He said changes in sea temperatures caused by El Niño could affect the depth at which fish are found and, consequently, the quantity of fish caught. At the same time, a drought associated with El Niño could reduce water levels in reservoirs and affect inland fish production.Jinadasa said the probability of El Niño occurring had increased from around 80% about a month ago to 91 per cent, according to a recent prediction he had seen.The Ministry is taking steps to prepare for a possible reduction in fish supplies by encouraging the private sector to increase stocks of fish products such as dried fish when prices decline.“We have told those in the private sector with storage facilities to store the required quantities during this period,” the Fisheries Ministry Secretary said.He said the Ministry had also asked canned-fish producers to increase their production capacity and output.The Ministry has further provided Rs. 86 million to renovate a cold-room facility belonging to the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation, with a storage capacity of 200 tonnes. Jinadasa said the facility was among several cold rooms that had remained unused and deteriorated over the years.He said there was also a blast freezer with a capacity of around 10 to 20 tonnes at the facility.Jinadasa said fish prices normally increase during August and September each year before declining when catches increase.However, rough sea conditions had prevented fishing vessels from going to sea for around two weeks after weather warnings were issued, which had also contributed to higher fish prices this year.He said that if fish supplies declined significantly, Sri Lanka could resort to imports, as fish imports were currently permitted subject to the applicable Rs. 400 tax.“The Ceylon Fisheries Corporation could also intervene and import fish if necessary,” he said.

Govt awaiting report to assess El Niño impact on fish harvest 

The Ministry of Vocational Education has launched a new initiative to visit the homes of schoolchildren and school leavers individually to raise awareness of vocational education opportunities available across the country.Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (23), Deputy Minister of Vocational Education Nalin Hewage said the expansion of vocational education opportunities had contributed to a decline in the national unemployment rate, while the new programme aimed to provide every child with personalised attention.“We are going to every single house individually to make the child aware of the opportunities they have in vocational education. We let them know about the chances they have, the facilities, where to go to start, and about the loan schemes individually,” he said.Hewage said the initiative was intended to steer young people away from informal occupations such as three-wheeler driving and encourage them to pursue skill-based careers after completing school.“There are more than 1.1 million three-wheelers at the moment of speaking, with individuals engaged in three-wheeler driving,” he said.He stressed that blaming children for turning to such occupations was unproductive, as many were unaware of the opportunities available to them after leaving school.“But now there are opportunities waiting for them. By the time we came to power, the unemployment rate was 4.4, and now it has been reduced to 3.9,” Hewage said.He also pointed to widening job opportunities in the tourism sector, as well as increased openings in Government services. Some youth are also being sent abroad for employment.Looking ahead, the Deputy Minister said that once vocational pathways were firmly established and youth embraced those opportunities, the Government planned to introduce a minimum age requirement of 40 for three-wheeler drivers.“Only because we want them to go for the vocational opportunities now available for them,” he added.A tendency among youth to take up three-wheeler driving after leaving school is widely observed, driven by various factors, including the fact that no specialised skills are required and regulations remain fairly loose.As a result, the number of three-wheeler drivers has increased significantly over the past several decades. The Government’s move to promote vocational education comes in this context.

Govt moves to steer youth away from tuks

The Department of Meteorology has forecast an increase in rainfall in several parts of the island, including the South-Western region, from tomorrow (25).Meteorologist Sachith Wickramanayake said showers were particularly likely in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Galle and Matara districts.Several spells of rain were experienced yesterday (23) in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces, as well as in the Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts. A few showers may also occur in the North-Western Province.Showers or thundershowers are likely in the Ampara, Batticaloa and Monaragala districts during the evening or night, while mainly dry weather is expected elsewhere, he said.He further warned that the apparent temperature in the Northern, North-Central and Eastern regions could rise to between 39°C and 45°C.In areas such as Polonnaruwa, temperatures are already exceeding 32°C by 8.30 a.m. Therefore, spending time outdoors between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. could be risky, he added.The public has been advised to limit outdoor activities during the afternoon, drink plenty of water and remain in cool places.Meanwhile, the Department of Meteorology said sea areas from Kankesanthurai to Chilaw via Mannar, and from Hambantota to Pottuvil, could become occasionally rough as wind speeds may increase to 60 kilometres per hour.

Rainfall to increase from tomorrow

The Education Ministry rejected a claim that 70% to 80% of male university dropouts are addicted to drugs, saying no such data has been reported to date. At the same time, the Ministry has begun efforts to trace the supply chain of narcotics entering university premises, with officials saying the measures have already contributed to a decline in both the availability and consumption of drugs.Speaking to The Daily Morning, Deputy Education Minister Dr Madhura Seneviratne said the figures cited by a university professor were unsubstantiated.“We do not agree with the percentage of 70 to 80 that is being described. Addiction is a medical condition, and we have not received any data indicating that such a number of undergraduates are drug addicts,” he said.However, Seneviratne acknowledged that the Ministry had received information from several suburban universities regarding student drug use and had already taken steps to address the issue.“We have identified that the supply chain of drugs to universities is one of the root causes. So far, we have traced a considerable part of it, and there is already a declining trend in usage and supply,” he said.As part of the response, the Ministry has appointed counsellors within the university system to identify early warning signs of addiction before symptoms become apparent.“They are trained for this and have a comprehensive understanding of their roles. We have decided to appoint more counsellors to reach students on a broader scale,” Seneviratne said.He also noted that a larger national programme was in place to address drug addiction, including within universities.Asked whether male students showed a higher tendency towards addiction, following information received by The Daily Morning regarding distributors allegedly operating in male hostels of State universities, the Deputy Minister said such gender-based observations could not yet be made. He added that susceptibility depended on the type of drug used.The controversy arose after Professor Amila Isuru, Head of the Department of Psychiatry at Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, made the remarks during a media discussion held under the ‘A Nation United’ national anti-drug programme.The professor had said that a considerable number of university students use or are addicted to drugs, and that approximately 70% to 80% of male students who drop out were found to be addicted to some form of narcotic substance.He also explained that many students continued using drugs not for pleasure, but to manage withdrawal symptoms.Meanwhile, a student from the University of Kelaniya, speaking to The Daily Morning on condition of anonymity, identified easy and unrestricted access to drugs within university premises as a key factor.“Even though there is not much of a need, students tend to try it, and some continue to use them due to the easy approach,” the student said, adding that designated students in male hostels operate distribution networks.

University dropouts: Ministry rejects 70-80% drug addiction claim

Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) attached to the Bandaranaike International Airport Health Office have been told the officer at the centre of their trade union action can appeal his transfer, Deputy Health Minister Dr Hansaka Wijemuni said.Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (23), Dr Wijemuni said that if the officer appealed against the transfer, the Health Ministry would appoint a committee to investigate whether any injustice had been caused.He said the Ministry had looked into the matter following the recent token strike by PHIs and found that the officer had been attached to the airport for 15 years, while officers normally remained there for around five years.“After 15 years, a transfer can take place at any time. The issue would arise if the transfer had been made as some kind of punishment or for an improper reason,” he said.Dr Wijemuni said there was no apparent indication at present that the officer had been transferred illegally or specifically to put him in difficulty.He said the Ministry had also found that other officers working with the transferred officer had signed a letter saying they could not work with him because of various issues, while there were also complaints involving some other officers.Dr Wijemuni said the Ministry had held discussions with one of the two PHI unions after it requested a meeting. The union that announced the strike had not requested a discussion with the Ministry, he said.He said the union that met the Ministry had told officials that the officer was a member of both unions.“After discussing the matter with the union, we called the relevant officers and obtained explanations from them. Our conclusion was that the officer should make an appeal regarding the transfer,” he said.Dr Wijemuni said that once an appeal was submitted, the Ministry would appoint a committee to examine whether any injustice had occurred.He said further trade union action would depend on the response from the health authorities.The PHI Union resorted to trade union action last week by withdrawing from all dengue-control duties island-wide, while on 21 August 2026, it staged an island-wide token strike by reporting sick.The trade union action was over the transfer of the senior PHI attached to the Airport Health Office. The union alleged that the transfer was arbitrary and called for the officer to be reinstated.

Special Audit report on 8th and 9th Sessions: Audit blows li ...

Minister disputes Rs 10 b coal loss claim

Minister disputes Rs 10 b coal ...

Colombo electric railway project to begin next year

Colombo electric railway proje ...

Unified mechanism to regulate perahera elephants

Unified mechanism to regulate ...

Govt awaiting report to assess El Niño impact on fish harvest

Govt awaiting report to assess ...

Govt moves to steer youth away from tuks

Govt moves to steer youth away ...

Rainfall to increase from tomorrow

Rainfall to increase from tomo ...

University dropouts: Ministry rejects 70-80% drug addiction claim

University dropouts: Ministry ...

Dy Minister tells TUs: PHI officer can appeal transfer

Dy Minister tells TUs: PHI off ...

Minister disputes Rs 10 b coal loss claim

Minister disputes Rs 10 b coal ...

Colombo electric railway project to begin next year

Colombo electric railway proje ...

Unified mechanism to regulate perahera elephants

Unified mechanism to regulate ...

Govt awaiting report to assess El Niño impact on fish harvest

Govt awaiting report to assess ...

Govt moves to steer youth away from tuks

Govt moves to steer youth away ...

Rainfall to increase from tomorrow

Rainfall to increase from tomo ...

University dropouts: Ministry rejects 70-80% drug addiction claim

University dropouts: Ministry ...

Dy Minister tells TUs: PHI officer can appeal transfer

Dy Minister tells TUs: PHI off ...

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Minister disputes Rs 10 b coal loss claim

Minister disputes Rs 10 b coal ...

Colombo electric railway project to begin next year

Colombo electric railway proje ...

Bringing the news paper to your fingertips

Unified mechanism to regulate perahera elephants

Unified mechanism to regulate ...

Govt awaiting report to assess El Niño impact on fish harvest

Govt awaiting report to assess ...

Govt moves to steer youth away from tuks

Govt moves to steer youth away ...

Rainfall to increase from tomorrow

Rainfall to increase from tomo ...