Salaries of ministers likely to be increased?

Salaries of ministers, deputy ministers, state ministers and all parliamentarians are likely to be increased by approximately 215 per cent to be on par with the recent salary increase given to judges, parliament sources said yesterday.

The need to increase salaries had come up for discussion at the party leaders meeting held on July 17 attended by JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Joint Opposition Parliament Group Leader Dinesh Gunawardane, UPFA Leader Nimal Siripala De Silva, Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella and TNA MP A. Sumanthiran.

The sources said the salary increment would be effective from January this year and that it would be paid this month with the arrears.

Accordingly, the salary of an MP would increase from Rs.54, 285 to Rs.120, 000 while the salary of a deputy minister goes up from Rs.63, 500 to 135, 000 while the salary of a minister and a state minister would be increased from Rs.65, 000 to Rs.140, 000.