COLOMBO, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's cabinet has approved a proposal to reduce the annual group insurance coverage for members of parliament by 75 percent with effect from Oct. 9, a statement issued by the Department of Government Information on Tuesday said.
The insurance coverage is now 1 million rupees (about 3,333 U.S. dollars) and will be reduced to 250,000 rupees (about 833 dollars), the statement said.
The Department of Government Information said that the proposal was submitted by the minister of public security and parliamentary affairs, and it aligns with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's drive to reduce benefits granted to legislators.
The group insurance scheme was introduced in May 2023 and allowed each member of parliament to claim up to a million rupees per year in medical or life insurance benefits.
Sri Lankan legislators enjoy a number of perks including generous insurance as well as a pension that they can claim after fulfilling a five-year tenure.
Dissanayake has insisted that benefits granted to legislators must be scaled back to reduce government expenditure and address public concerns about excessive privileges for elected officials. ■
