The government has decided not to provide cabinet ministers with official residences. Instead, National People’s Power (NPP) Members of Parliament (MPs) who require official accommodation will be allocated houses in the Madiwela housing complex on a shared basis, according to government sources.
Each house will be shared by two or three MPs traveling to Colombo for official purposes. This initiative aligns with the election promises made by the NPP government to reduce MPs’ privileges.
Additionally, the government will implement a program to provide MPs with official vehicles, which will be returned to the government at the end of their term. This replaces the previously available duty-free vehicle license scheme for MPs.
The NPP government has pledged to eliminate several perks traditionally given to MPs, including duty-free vehicles, ministerial official residences, MPs’ pensions, and luxury vehicles for public representatives.
Out of the 120 MP houses in Madiwela, 112 are currently allocated to public representatives. Nearly 100 MPs have applied for official housing, with about 70 NPP MPs among the applicants, according to parliamentary sources.
