|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Friday, 22 October 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Politics | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
| Mangala blasts Ranil Former PM lavished nearly US $ 18m on crony advisors
The UNP led by Ranil Wickremesinghe was trying to hide the inefficiency and corruption of its two and a half year rule by issuing baseless news reports about the Freedom Alliance Government most of which are exaggerations, charged Ports, Aviation and Media Minister and Education Deputy Minister Mangala Samaraweera yesterday. Minister Samaraweera said a case in point is the question raised in Parliament by Parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake about Presidential Advisors. There was a reasonable doubt that this question may have been raised with a view to kill two birds with one stone at a time when the internal crisis in the UNP had aggravated. This question while making an exaggeration about Presidential advisors had given the government an opportunity to divulge the happenings during the period their leader was Prime Minister. However, the media had given wide publicity to the question - raised by Ravi Karunanayake regarding salaries and allowances paid to Presidential Advisors as well as the answer it elicited. Certain sections of the media had tried to portray the monthly expenditure of about rupees one million to obtain the services of a handful of advisors as a colossal wastage. As such it was essential to divulge the true facts about the matter to the people. Minister Samaraweera said the President had appointed as advisors persons having exceptional skills, knowledge and expertise in their respective fields. While all of them were Sri Lankan nationals they had been receiving large salaries and allowances in the private sector earlier. When compared with the salaries and allowances received in the private sector the salaries and allowances received by these Presidential advisors were minimal. They were holding these advisory posts at salaries and allowances much below what they received earlier due to their sincere desire to serve the nation under the leadership and guidance of the President. James W. Robertson who was former Prime Minister's Senior Economic Advisor was paid 214,000 US dollars per year which amounted to Rs. 1,836,833 monthly. While these foreign advisors received salaries and allowances for in excess of what they could earn in their own countries they received other perks as well including super vehicles, luxury apartment facilities and VIP air tickets to visit their home countries seven to eight times per year. Apart from these foreigners Rohan Samarajeewa who functioned as Director General of the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission during the PA Government was appointed as advisor to the Prime Minister and he was paid 298,000 US dollars per year. (Rs. 2,557,833 per month) in addition to other allowances and facilities. Apart from this Lakshman Siriwardena was paid an annual salary of Rs. 4.8 million, Harsha de Silva an annual salary of Rs. 2.6 million, Ms. Sarasalie Fonseka an annual salary of Rs. 3.84 million and A.A. Seneviratne an annual salary of Rs. 2.76 million while all other advisors had been paid monthly salaries in excess of Rs. 100,000 the salaries and allowances paid to former Prime Minister's other friends like R. Paskaralingam are not included in this list. Although the UNP which has got into a frenzy in the face of the people friendly program of work implemented by the UPFA Government was highlighting matters in an exaggerated manner to hide its own past misdemeanours it should be pointed out that the people through their verdict at the recently concluded elections had clearly shown that they had not forgotten the past. We ought to recall how the UNP which made these false accusations against Presidential advisor acted during its 2 year period of rule. We cannot forget the era where Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe spent foreign aid received by the country lavishly on his friends who had been appointed as his advisors. A large slice of the 18 million US dollars (Rs. 1854 million) received as World Bank aid during the latter part of the PA government had been utilised to pay the salaries and allowances of former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's Foreign Consultants and local Consultants who were his intimate friends. From this aid 7.97 million US dollars (Rs. 820 million) had been utilised to pay salaries and allowances to Prime Minister's advisors and 112 advisory organisations during a year. This money had been spent on the salaries and allowances of advisors appointed to the Policy Planning and Implementation Ministry which functioned under the Prime Minister by stating that it had been allocated for Public Sector Reforms implemented under the Ministry of Economic Reform, Science and Technology. Foreigners were conspicuous among the former Prime Minister's advisors. John Earl who was brought down by Ranil Wickremesinghe for publicity work during the 1999 Presidential Election was later named as consultant to the unit set up to develop a master plan for Strategic Communication and paid 239,280 US dollars per year. Accordingly his monthly pay was 19,940 US dollars or Rs. 2,053,820. It is a common secret that whatever his designation John Earls main function was to select former Prime Minister's clothing, and provide him speech training and strategies to create dissension in opposition ranks. Apart from this A. G. Cuthbertson who was appointed on advisor for strengthening Government capacity was paid 227,625 US dollars per year which amounted to Rs. 1,953,781 monthly. Other two advisors Trent J. Bertrand and Thomas Maxwell were paid 232,625 US dollars each per year which amounted to Rs. 1,996,697 monthly each. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
