Sri Lanka moves to abolish special privileges for former presidents

Colombo, July 31 The Sri Lankan government on Thursday gazetted the Presidents Entitlements (Repeal) Bill, aiming to abolish special privileges granted to former presidents and their widows.

The bill follows cabinet approval to amend the Presidents' Entitlements Act No. 4 of 1986. The proposed changes are designed to end longstanding benefits for former presidents and their widows, Xinhua news agency reported.

Sri Lanka currently provides a range of privileges for these groups.

Earlier this year, a government minister disclosed that the state spent more than 1.1 billion rupees (about 3.7 million U.S. dollars) in 2024 on benefits for former presidents.

The move to repeal these entitlements fulfils a key pledge of the current administration.

On July 22, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the publication of a draft bill to repeal the President’s Entitlements Act, effectively revoking special privileges granted to former Presidents and their families.

The move is in line with the government’s policy declaration “Pohosath Ratak – Lassana Jeewithayak”, which pledges to reduce state expenditure and promote accountability.

Cabinet approval was initially granted at its meeting held on June 16, 2025, to proceed with the drafting of the repeal bill. The Legal Draftsman has since completed the proposed legislation, and the Attorney General has given clearance for it.

Accordingly, the Cabinet on Monday granted approval to the proposal submitted by the Minister of Justice and National Integration to publish the draft bill in the government gazette and present it to Parliament for its approval.

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