President’s daily expenses: Presidential Secretariat denies JVP claim

The Presidential Secretariat has denied claims made by JVP MP Sunil Handunetti that the funds allocated to the President under the Vote on Account are Rs. 19 million, per day.

The funds allocated under the President’s votes in the Vote on Account are not only for the Presidential Secretariat and President’s expenditure but for the expenditure for 21 departments as well as expenditure for former Presidents, a press release from the President’s office said yesterday.

JVP parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti was reported in some newspapers as saying Rs. 19 million was spent for the daily expenses of the President which was not true. The 21 organizations listed under the President include a wide range of public services including the Commissioner General of Essential Services, Salaries and Cadres Commission and funds have been allocated under the President for all those bodies.

Following are the organizations: President’s Office, Presidential Secretariat, former Presidents and their spouses, National Salaries and Cadre Commission, Presidential Special Investigation Unit, Strategic Enterprise Management Agency, Competent Authority’s Office, Commissioner General of Essential Services, Special Task for Resettlement and Rehabilitation in the north, National Research Council, Food Purchases Monitoring Unit, Special Presidential Commissions of Inquiry, National Administrative Reforms Council, Special Presidential Task Force on English and Technology, National Information Centre, Cabinet Sub-committee on Food Security and Cost of Living, Lanka IT and Communication Representative Institute, BMICH, Institute of Fundamental Studies, Sri Lanka Foundation Institute and the Policy Studies Institute.

President’s annual expenditure:

Recurrent : Rs. 164 million

Capital: Rs. 17 million.

Total: Rs. 181 million

Daily expenses: Less than Rs 1 million