2026-02-19 / Oral Question: Parliamentary Members' Salaries and Allowances (Q. 1/2026) 2026-02-19
## Summary
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya provided a detailed parliamentary answer outlining the current salary and allowances paid to Members of Parliament, including a monthly allowance of Rs. 54,285 alongside various additional allowances covering transport, telephone, office expenses, fuel, and sitting and committee participation payments. She noted that salary and allowances for MP Nayana Wasalathilaka have been suspended since August 2025 following his written notification dated 20 August 2025. She further disclosed that the Prime Minister, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, the Leader of the Opposition, and Opposition Whips have voluntarily waived their fuel allowance entitlements in writing to the Secretary-General of Parliament.
Hon. Speaker, the Answer is as follows:
(a)
(i) Submitted by Annexure 1. I table Annexure 1 (placed in the Library).
(ii) At present, Members of Parliament are paid:
- Monthly allowance: Rs. 54,285
- Monthly consolidated allowance: Rs. 1,000
- Driver’s allowance: Rs. 3,500 per month (not payable where a driver is provided by the Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs)
- Telephone allowance: Rs. 50,000
- Transport allowance: Rs. 15,000
- Office allowance: Rs. 100,000
- Sitting allowance: Rs. 2,500 per sitting day (for attendance on each day of a sitting of Parliament)
- Committee participation allowance: Rs. 2,500 per day (payable for attending a committee meeting on a day on which Parliament does not sit)
- Fuel allowance: Paid monthly on the 1st day of each month, based on the approved retail price of diesel per litre, the distance from Parliament to the electoral district represented by the Member, and for National List Members on a benchmark of 419.76 litres; full details are as set out in Annexure II (placed in the Library).
(iii) Pursuant to a written notification dated 20.08.2025 from Hon. Nayana Wasalathilaka, MP, payment of salary and allowances has been stopped since August 2025 in his case.
Further, as per Annexure III (placed in the Library), the following have, in writing to the Office of the Secretary-General of Parliament, stated that they will not draw the fuel allowance paid by Parliament, and accordingly it is not paid to them: the Prime Minister; the Speaker; the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees; the Deputy Chair of Committees; Ministers; Deputy Ministers; the Leader of the Opposition; the Chief Opposition Whip; and the Opposition Deputy Whips.
(b) Not applicable.