Ministers make merry at public expense

 By Dilrukshi Handunnetti

The budget, presented with a flourish by President Mahinda Rajapakse, visibly glowing given the war hype that prevailed, did not conceal some hard facts. A budget that focused much on import substitution and controls, many an area of sheer need for a developing nation went missing, housing falling into the areas of such neglect.

This despite housing being a huge concern in a country with increasing slum dwellers numbering over 65,000 within the Colombo city limits alone whilst being subject to rapid urbanisation.

This story is not about sustainable development issues of a developing state. It is about the development of a handful of individuals sustained at the expense of already overburdened taxpayers.

The contrast to the above-mentioned need for general housing is the housing benefits of the top heavy UPFA government.

And here are the statistics presented to parliament from time to time, often due to the persistent questioning of JVP Parliamentarian Ranaweera Pathirana. When combined, the statistics form a devastating truth about how the other half lives.

Parasites

When cumulatively taken, at least 25 Colombo house-holding ministers claim the monthly housing allowance of Rs. 100,000 paid for by the government for ministers who do not possess private homes in Colombo.

A few do not stop at obtaining the special allowance while having their own private residence in Colombo but are also maintaining a Madiwela MP's flat, specially constructed to facilitate parliamentarians without Colombo homes. Minister of Co-operatives Najeeb Abdul Majeed and V. Putrasigamoney, according to parliamentary documents qualify for this dubious honour.

Accordingly, the revised directory of parliamentarians for 2007 compiled by the Office of the Chief Government Whip lists the above two names as holding two flats at the Madiwela MPs Housing Complex.

Then there are those who get their high electricity and water bills also paid by the state.

As per provisions of a May circular, cabinet ministers, non-cabinet ministers and deputy ministers who are not provided with official quarters in Colombo are entitled to an allowance of Rs. 100,000 from the monies allocated to respective ministries. Besides the above allocation, their monthly water and electricity bills too are paid for by the state.

Heavy burden

According to MP Ranaweera Pathirana, a parliamentarian habitually raking information about ministerial expenditure, the statistics when gathered amply demonstrates the reason for Sri Lanka's legislature weighing upon the public's collective shoulders.

According to The Sunday Leader investigations, the Public Administration Ministry has spent over Rs. 1.3 million to renovate the official residence of Transport Minister Dulles Alahapperuma including some special fittings, in the year 2006.

According to answers submitted to parliament during oral question time, Alahapperuma's monthly electricity bills between September and December 2007 have been in the range of Rs.13, 000 to 36,000.

In another instance, we find Minister of Constitutional Affairs and National Integration, D.E. W. Gunasekara who receives a monthly house rent of Rs. 100,000  receiving Rs. 2.4 million collectively as house rent between June 2004 to December 2007.

Besides, Minister Gunasekara also had his comforts increased and a power generator was installed at his house at the cost of Rs. 1.75 million, all paid for by the state.

Then there is more on renovations.  Fisheries Minister Felix Perera is another UPFA Cabinet Minister who has incurred huge expenditure to have his official residence renovated to suit his sense of style and grandeur.

Mega renovations

He has first renovated the residence in 2006 at a cost of Rs. 1.6 million. But those improvements, as it now becomes apparent, were obviously not sufficient which made the Minister lavishly spend public money on a second occasion to renovate his house.

This time around, in 2007, another Rs. 2.4 million was allocated on official house renovations, according to information submitted to parliament.

Not only does he prove himself a lavish spender with regard to renovating his official home, but also he has run up bills that give shock treatment to the public.

Minister Felix Perera's total electricity bill in 2007 has been a staggering Rs. 1.39 million, making opposition legislators question whether it was a house or some sort of factory, hotel or business premises for the consumption of power in commercial quantities to run up such a massive bill.

Likewise, in the same year, Rs. 88,000 had been spent by the Perera household on water supply - leading once again to the question whether the Minister runs a home or a water sports complex to end up with bills that drown the taxpayer.

Then there are others who are equally lavish with their energy and water consumption, as revealed to parliament during oral question time.

Huge bills

Minister of Water Supply and Drainage A.L.M. Athaulla has run electricity bills during the period of September to December 2007 ranging from Rs. 13,000 to Rs. 36,000, no less.

Then there is fair Minister of Housing and Common Amenities, Ferial Ashraff who is indeed provided with an official residence and tops it with monthly water bills ranging from Rs. 11,000 to 22,000 during the three months under review, namely September to December 2007.

That's what finally leads to the original argument of ministers being paid high rents and receiving many other perks while the average citizen does not even have the benefit of basic housing.

While stating that, let's also not lose sight of the fact that the government, though not making extra allocations for housing construction had lavishly allocated a plum sum of Rs. 6,000 million no less, to revive the defunct Mihin Lanka - and that's while allocating a mere Rs. 300 million for water supply for the entire nation!

As MP Ranaweera Pathirana notes, this meager allocation might be just enough to settle some of the water bills of the top-heavy cabinet with nothing left for the people!

From ministerial housing and other perks to projects we come now. During the votes on the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, SLMC Leader and Opposition Parliamentarian Rauf Hakeem was heard asking some pertinent questions about Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded projects.

Spending spree

According to what was revealed to the House, some interesting facts about the Ministry's spending sprees came to light.

According to Hakeem, the ADB funds for a special project on forestry management had been largely spent on three areas - foreign trips, seminars and to provide 'foreign training' to Forest Department officials. The breakdown of expenses is a bit devastating.

Some US $ 33 million was allocated, according to Hakeem for Protected Area Management, and needless to say it is a lot of money.  The said project had been in operation since year 2000.

Out of the allocation made, some Rs. 251 million had been so far spent on demarcations, another Rs. 118 million on forest management activities and Rs. 15 million on capacity building of the Forest Department officials.

What transpires now is that there had not been proper evaluation of the project progress that commenced eight years ago, though under a different administration.

And this comes with a contrast to the Ministry's Progress Report 2008 and Action Plan 2009 that sported the most picturesque of covers, reflecting Sri Lankan heritage in which Arhath Mahinda Thero's famous quote was included - and this was about rulers being mere guardians and that their being to protect and hold the area and being safe!

Among the ministries that hardly come under proper scrutiny is the Ministry of Mass Media and Information.

Tender procedure overlooked

According to JVP Parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti, the Ministry has overlooked the tender procedure to purchase a Rs. 100 million worth special switch for the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC).

There was no bank guarantee, certificate of origin or the required certificate of insurance and the machine has arrived and is stalled at the Colombo Harbour for clearance, the MP claimed.

Minister Anura Yapa's response to the House was that the special switch/machine had not been cleared and accepted by the Ministry so far. There was no explanation about overlooking tender procedure or about waiting to verify documentation without ensuring that the papers are indeed in order, by the time it reaches one's own shores.