The Government has reversed its earlier decision to provide official vehicles to Members of Parliament (MPs) from the ruling party, a senior official announced yesterday.
Instead of granting them vehicles, the MPs will now receive a designated fuel quota, the official added.
The decision was reconsidered following concerns that issuing vehicles could contradict the policies advocated by the National People’s Power (NPP). The move had also faced criticism from opposition parliamentarians, some of whom warned they would demand similar privileges if ruling party MPs were allocated official vehicles.
Despite the reversal, some ruling party MPs had expressed willingness to accept government-provided vehicles, citing the need for reliable transportation, particularly for travel between their electorates in the provinces.
However, Cabinet ministers and deputy ministers will still retain their entitlement to official vehicles.
In a related development, Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananda Wijepala told the Sunday Times that the government would no longer continue the practice of issuing duty-free vehicle permits to MPs.
Minister Wijepala explained that although a cabinet paper is usually submitted every five years to facilitate this benefit, his ministry would not be pursuing such a proposal. Furthermore, the government has decided not to import new vehicles for ministers.
Instead, the government plans to auction 228 V8 vehicles currently in use by ministers and various ministries. No new V8 vehicles will be imported for government use.
“We aim to procure vehicles that are cost-effective, fuel-efficient, and require minimal maintenance,” Minister Wijepala said.
This shift underscores the government’s intention to align its vehicle policies with economic and environmental considerations.
