Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday affirmed that the Cabinet of Ministers has neither received any proposal for a salary hike of Parliamentarians nor has he received such a proposal.
The Prime Minister was addressing the UNP Parliamentary Group at Temple Trees yesterday.
The Prime Minister added that a request had been made at the Party Leaders Meeting several months ago to take appropriate action citing that office expenses of Parliamentarians have increased .
The Prime Minister at this point had informed that a decision can be made with regard to their request after consulting the Treasury if a fair proposal is made. However, no proposal was made with regard to this issue though the party leaders met on several occasions after that.
He said UNP Parliamentary Group requested him to make a statement on the media reports on the Parliamentarians ‘salary hike.
Premier Wickremesinghe insisted that no proposal on the Parliamentarians’ salary hike was made to him or to the Cabinet.
“Only the newspapers have carried the news item that the salaries of Parliamentarians will be increased,” the Prime Minister added.
The Prime Minister said he inquired from Speaker Karu Jayasuriya whether any proposal for a salary hike of Parliamentarians had been made to Parliament.
“The Speaker told me that the Party Leaders had discussed this issue but no final decision has been made with regard to salary hike of MPs.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said he cannot make any statement over the salary hike of Parliamentarians merely on newspaper reports.
“I can make a statement if a formal proposal has been made over it,” the Premier Said.