Green light for 125 % increase in basic allowance for CMC members

The Standing Committee on Finance of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) has approved the increase in the basic allowance of a member by 125 per cent following a proposal submitted by Colombo Mayor Rosy Senanayake, CMC member Sharmila Gonawala confirmed yesterday.

Mrs. Gonawala told Daily Mirror that the basic allowance of all 119
members of the CMC would be increased to Rs. 45, 000 from the present Rs. 20 000 each and added that this proposal was submitted by the Colombo Mayor to the CMC General Council last month.

She said the proposal had been referred to the Standing Committee on Finance last Tuesday (14) and it had been approved.

“It is unfair double the basic allowance of CMC members at this time. People’s tax money is being misused. It is unfair. There are many other burning issues in the Colombo Municipality such as dengue and the collection of garbage rather increasing the allowances of its members,” she said.

While rejecting these claims, Mrs. Senanayake said she had made the proposal to increase CMC members’ basic allowance by Rs. 25, 000 considering the issues faced by those members who have to survive on the pittance they are earning while working getting as people’s representatives.

She said she had made this proposal for the less privileged members of the CMC which included many young members as well as women who give up a lot to be here and work hard for the upliftment of the CMC.

“Rs. 20, 000 is a relatively small amount. A member cannot even pay for the public transport for a month with this amount of money. It is necessary to provide them with a proper allowance to maintain their productivity," she said. (Kalathma Jayawardhane)


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