The Parliamentary Pension Debate: Reform or Populism?

Photo courtesy of Constitutionnet The debate over parliamentary pensions has resurfaced in Sri Lanka, raising critical questions of fairness, accountability and fiscal responsibility. At a time when citizens face economic hardship, tax pressures and reforms to their own retirement benefits, the privileges enjoyed by elected representatives are under unprecedented scrutiny. Globally, many democracies have grappled with similar issues. In response, they have restructured parliamentary pension schemes to reflect principles of equity, sustainability and transparency. Sri Lanka now has an opportunity to learn from these best practices. Instead, government has introduced a bill to abolish parliamentary pensions altogether – a move…

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