The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, with your prior permission, a brief clarification.

¶ 02 On 27 February, I tabled information regarding expenditure for former Speakers and the official Speaker’s Residence for 2023, 2024 and 2025, including vehicles and fuel used by former Speakers, former Acting Speakers and former Deputy Chairpersons of Committees. Subsequently, former Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena made statements in the press and online implying my information was false or irresponsibly presented. However, what I tabled was information obtained in writing from your Office with your approval.

¶ 03 I also stated then that anyone may request and obtain such information with your consent. Today, with your leave, I wish to further clarify and, to confirm accuracy, I requested audited or finance-officer-certified details from your Office. I thank you for facilitating that.

¶ 04 Public money is used for expenditure here as in any state institution; therefore, Parliament’s administrative spending must be accountable to the people. We appreciate your decision to subject Parliament’s expenditure to audit; to my knowledge, it was approved by the Staff Advisory Committee. Ensuring citizens’ right to information is our duty as representatives. Accordingly, with your permission, I intend to table the certified reports I have received from the Chief Financial Officer of Parliament.

¶ 05 Among the reports I will table are: - Fuel expenditure for the former Speaker, the then Acting Speaker Ajith Rajapakse, and the then Deputy Chairperson of Committees Angajan Ramanathan from 01.01.2023 to 31.12.2023, and for the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairperson of Committees from 21.11.2024 to 31.12.2024, and from 01.01.2025 to 31.01.2025 and 01.02.2025 to 25.02.2025. - Next, water … (Speech continues.)