The inaugural cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, took place yesterday (30). This cabinet, consisting of the smallest number of members in Sri Lanka’s political history, comprises only three members. The President serves as the head of the Cabinet, with Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and Minister Vijitha Herath as the other two members. Below are the key decisions made during this cabinet meeting:
1. Provision for the 2024 General Election:
According to Extraordinary Gazette No. 2403/13 dated 2024-09-24, the 9th Parliament of Sri Lanka has been dissolved, and the general election is scheduled for 2024-11-14. However, no budgetary allocations for this election were made in the 2024 estimates. Therefore, under Article 150(4) of the Constitution, the Cabinet agreed to release LKR 5 billion from the Consolidated Fund for the 2024 General Election, with the expectation that LKR 6 billion required for the 2025 fiscal year will be allocated in the next year’s budget.
2. Review of Privileges, Allowances, and Benefits of MPs, Ministers, and Former Presidents:
MPs, Ministers, and former Presidents are entitled to various benefits such as salaries, allowances, pensions, official residences, vehicles, staff, office equipment, and security personnel, all of which place a significant financial burden on the government. Recognizing the need to reduce unnecessary expenditures given the current fiscal constraints, the Cabinet approved Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya’s proposal to form a committee that will review these entitlements and submit recommendations within two months. The committee consists of the following members:
- K.T. Chitrasiri (Chairman), retired Supreme Court judge
- D. Dissanayake, retired Secretary to the Ministry
- Jayanta C.T. Bulumulla, retired District Secretary/Government Agent
3. Removal of Restrictions on the Release of Treasury Funds:
On 2023-02-13, the Cabinet decided that certain expenditures would require the approval of the Minister of Finance based on priority. However, it has now been observed that there is no longer a need for such a prioritization in the release of funds. Hence, the Cabinet approved the proposal by President Dissanayake, who is also the Minister of Finance, to authorize the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance to release necessary funds without requiring additional approval.
4. Appointment of Controller General of Immigration and Emigration:
With the current Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, I.S.H.J. Ilukpitiya, being placed in remand custody following a Supreme Court order on 2024-09-25, there is an urgent need to appoint a suitable official to this position. The Cabinet approved the proposal by the Minister of Public Security to appoint B.M.D. Nilusha Balasuriya, a senior officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, as the new Controller General of Immigration and Emigration with immediate effect.
5. Appointment of Senior Presidential Advisors:
According to Article 41(1) of the Constitution, the President has the authority to appoint his staff after consulting the Cabinet. The Cabinet has approved the appointment of Duminda Hulugamuwa (Senior Presidential Advisor on Economic Affairs and Finance) and Dr. A.A.J. Fernando (Senior Presidential Advisor on Economic Affairs and Finance) with effect from 2024-09-24.
6. Appointment of Director General of Government Information:
Following the resignation of Dinith Chinthaka Karunaratne, the position of Director General of Government Information is currently vacant. The Cabinet approved the proposal by the Minister of Mass Media to appoint H.S.K.J. Bandara, an officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service currently serving as Director (Administration) at the Department of Government Information, to this position with immediate effect.
7. Appointment of Cabinet Spokesperson:
The Cabinet appointed Minister Vijitha Herath, the Minister of Religious, Cultural, and National Unity Affairs, as the Cabinet Spokesperson.
These decisions were made during the inaugural cabinet meeting following the appointment of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
