A special audit has exposed extraordinary fuel privileges enjoyed by senior officials of Sri Lanka’s Parliament, including unrestricted allocations and thousands of litres supplied for official and private vehicles.
Sri Lanka’s Parliament appears to have developed a considerable thirst for fuel during the final years of the Ninth Parliament, according to findings contained in a special audit of its expenditure.
The audit found that the Speaker used 3,994 litres of fuel in 2023 and 6,122 litres in 2024, representing increases of 66 per cent and 155 per cent respectively compared with 2022.
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Fuel expenditure attributed to the Speaker amounted to Rs.19.37 million in 2023 and Rs.26.05 million in 2024.
The wider figures are even more striking. Former Speakers are reported to have consumed 299,146 litres of fuel costing more than Rs.75 million between 2016 and 2024.
But the Speaker’s consumption was only part of what auditors uncovered.
The Deputy Speaker was supplied 21,299 litres of fuel worth approximately Rs.8.55 million during 2023 and 2024 for a private vehicle, in addition to three official vehicles allocated to the office.
Those official vehicles themselves exceeded prescribed fuel allocations by 6,980 litres in 2023 and another 1,515 litres in 2024, according to the audit.
The Deputy Chairperson of Committees was meanwhile provided with three official vehicles and unrestricted fuel despite questions raised by the audit over the basis upon which such an entitlement had been provided.
The Secretary-General of Parliament was also found to have used two official vehicles simultaneously during 2022 and 2023, while no restriction had been imposed on fuel consumption attached to the office.
Between 2022 and 2024, the Secretary-General used 15,063 litres of fuel costing approximately Rs.6.07 million – an average of 5,031 litres a year. The audit observed that this was about 2,300 litres above the allocation applicable to a Ministry Secretary, already among the more generously provided-for officials in the public service.
The figures assume particular significance because much of the expenditure occurred while ordinary Sri Lankans were enduring one of the country’s most severe economic crises.
Fuel shortages brought queues stretching for kilometres in 2022. Businesses struggled to operate, public transport was disrupted and motorists sometimes waited for days to obtain petrol or diesel.
Against that background, the audit raises a question extending well beyond whether any particular official technically enjoyed an entitlement.
It is whether the system of entitlements itself was reasonable.
Public money does not cease to be public money simply because regulations permit it to be spent.
The present Parliament and Government therefore have an opportunity to do more than criticise what happened before them. They can establish transparent limits governing vehicles, fuel and other benefits available to parliamentary office-holders and senior officials – and publish those limits.
The Auditor-General’s work has shown Parliament what happened.
The more interesting test is what Parliament now does about it.
