Sri Lanka It's Happening

July 21, 2005

The official salary of a minister is low, it's not much higher than the salary of a Member of Parliament. So why do people spend millions, engage in intimidation, thuggery, skulldugerry and sometimes even murder to become parliamentarians? Then why do these parliamentarians fight each other and lick the presidential slipper to become ministers? Because of the perks.

A newly appointed minister usually gets driven to his office on the first day in a spanking new Mercedes S class, A Monterro or a BMW 750. His (or her) first action is to start a recruitment drive. There are thousands of goons who put up illegal posters during election time clamouring for pensionable government jobs. Some of these thugs will soon find themselves sitting at desks in air conditioned comfort.

The role that these thugs are expected to play at the ministry is to protect the minister from investigations into bribery and corruption and to obstruct any prying journalist. Since that does not take a lot of time they can go home early until the next election arrives. Then the ministry has an army of thugs paid for by the state to carry out his dirty work.

Then the minister will proceed to order new furniture and get the office redone. And while the office is being redone he will take off to a foreign land at state expense. The president has imposed a quota of 4 foreign trips a month for each minister. This rule is observed only in breach. Some ministers use up their quota during the first month in office.

A new minister is also entitled to extra security. Since politicians are part of the underworld or common thugs, and because the underworld controls the hired killers and because no one wants a gang war, ministers face no security threats whatso ever. That means the extra body guards can be put to good use watering the front lawn or to take the wife shopping.

After settling in, a minister will call for a few tenders, taking great care to ensure that their values is below a certain limit. The tenders are carefully evaluated and awarded to the highest bidder. The highest bidder will give the biggest commision. A minister has to take great care to ensure that the tenders prices are below threshold. Else it will have to go before the cabinet. With every MP from the ruling party being a minister the kick backs simply cannot be shared.

Posted by raditha at July 21, 2005 9:19 AM