It has been revealed in Parliament that the expenses of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s official staff during the past three years have exceeded Rs. 1340 million of taxpayers’ money.
This had been disclosed at the Parliament by Chief Government Whip, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in response to a question raised by JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake who had stated that presently there are 1348 persons attached to the official staff of the President including Uva UPFA Provincial Council polls candidate and close relative of the President – Shashindra Rajapaksa who even at present, holds the position of a private secretary to President Rajapaksa.
Minister Gunawardena had stated that the total value of the expenses of the Presidential staff during the past three years was Rs. 1,340,575,569.15, with some Rs 994,492.26 per staffer. Apart from their monthly salaries, each worker is entitled to a series of allowances to which includes transportation and fuel allowances.
Meanwhile, it had been pointed out by Minister Gunawardena that the present number of workers in the President’s staff is much lesser than the actual number that has been approved which is 1,488.
Dissanayake had pointed out that the numbers are appalling since only Rs.1.1 million is allocated for the Health Sector in the country.
It was also recently pointed out that the daily expenses of the President amounts to Rs. 23,400,000.
Raj / September 12, 2014
Will this gravy train ever stop? The rich will avoid paying their fair share of taxes by hiring sharp accountants who will find loop holes in the system & it will be the poor PAYE tax payer & the average man who will be milked dry with stealth taxes.
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aratai / September 12, 2014
.
Does this includes the cost of flying GoRa’s Dog from Swiss?
:-)
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Native Vedda / September 12, 2014
“hiring sharp accountants who will find loop holes in the system”
You mean a few Tamil crooks.
It is a matter of compliance. If the Inland Revenue did it job there won’t be any loopholes left for the Crooked accountants to Tax Plan (cooking the books).
How many of the Inland Revenue employees such as
Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Senior Assessor/Assessor, Senior Tax Officer/Tax Officer, Public Management Assistant, clerks, peons …
are not in the service of rich crooks/politicians?
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JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA / September 13, 2014
Humble JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake,
who is racking all these garbage,
JARAPASSA CLAN, Specially the Hothambaya will say/ may be saying now, that, to this bugger must TEACH a Lesson like Prageeth Eknaligoda, Wikramathunga??????????????????,
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justice / September 12, 2014
Such expenditure is totally immoral, when many people cannot have even one square meal a day, and a roof over their heads.
In addition, they are also being slowly poisoned by glycophate which has now spread northwards according to reports – only because the supplier has paid large bribes to those who approved use/import of agrochemicals containing glycophate, and a total ban is not yet imposed.
Occasionally citizens are also shot dead – even those in prison.
This is why many try to ‘escape’ from this dharmadwipa.
But it is astonishing that these very same citizens – at least a good percentage – vote for the political party which props up the president.
Most of the “staffers” of the president have nothing to do, and were given their “positions” as personal favours or/and as political ‘props’.
The wife of Bharatha Luxman Premachandra whose murderer still enjoys all perks was made a “presidential adviser” to prevent her from demanding justice in the case of her husband’s murder.
There is also the Presidents Fund which is never audited. It too is used to bestow favours on sycophants – many super rich persons have been doled out expenses for foreign medical treatment.
It is not clear who paid the large fees to the hospital in Singapore which ‘treated’ Duminda Silva.
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JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA / September 13, 2014
“THE Special presidential adviser”,
“The Fair lady, wife of Bharatha Luxman Premachandra”??????????????.
Why You Want to Raise Un necessary Questions?????.
That is a personal appointed Business of the Ruler !!!.
Diogenes;
“What type of advise and on what?”
Do not ASk Again.
Both of You want to go for TRIP in a White Van??????????/ .
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Diogenes / September 12, 2014
Bharatha Luxman`s wife a “Presidential Adviser”? What type of advise and on what?Can anyone please find out and publish a list of names of the Presidential Advisers because the citizens of the country have a right to know the parasites who are sucking the blood of the nation.
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Lapatiya / September 13, 2014
There is nothing wrong about having numerous Presidential Advisers as he knows only to bang his chest and make noise like Gorilla.
Among plenty of Presidential Advisers there is very important Adviser. That is “Adviser to President about affairs of Tele Dramas, Films, Young Tele Actreses and Film Actreses”
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Diogenes / September 14, 2014
Mr lapaliya,I presume that in your second para you are referring to that Jack-Ass (booru putha)!
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MirakRajBanda / September 15, 2014
His Dogs and exotic Parrots will cause tax payers kick in the back…..
Who knows what else he has in his palace????
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Neem Farzan / September 17, 2014
This only direct cost, indirect cost are 3 times more, for example Anoma Laffir( secretary to president) also sits on the board of Mobitel , and travels every year to Barcelona and other countries sponsored by suppliers with no knowledge of telecom.
Gamini senarath is on the board of three major companies and owns a Lexus top of the range ,BMW 7 and a Mercedez 500 and a 6 story house at Gregories road Colombo 7.
He also controls a printing press which prints a popular brand of stationery, with a lots of arm twisting for printing contracts.
Will there ever be transparency in Sri Lanka.
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