Bill to jack up MP pay, perks registered

Published On: October 19, 2016 12:10 AM NPT By: Republica  | @RepublicaNepal


KATHMANDU, Oct 19: The government on Tuesday registered a bill at Parliament to revise upwards the pay and perks for members of Parliament and other office-bearers, including the speaker and deputy speaker.

The Bill to Amend Perks and Benefits for MPs and Office-bearers 2052 proposes increasing the pay and perks for lawmakers, which have not been legally revised for two decades.

The bill proposes Rs 80,000 in monthly pay and perks for a lawmaker, apart from meetings and taxi allowances. There will be a Rs 500 meeting allowance and Rs 1,000 taxi fare allowance for attending a House meeting or parliamentary committee meeting.

The new bill seeks to increase the monthly pay for a lawmaker to Rs 55,230 from the Rs 15,000 provisioned in the existing act. However, lawmakers have been receiving Rs 54,000 as basic remunerations following incremeants through successive budget speeches. 

The bill proposes increasing the meeting allowance to Rs 500 per meeting from Rs 190 and the telecommunications allowance to Rs 3,000 per month from Rs 300.

 Likewise, lawmakers will get Rs 18,000 per month as rent for living quarters once the bill is endorsed. Earlier, they were receiving Rs 6,500 under this head. The speaker will get Rs 28,275 and the deputy speaker, the leader of the main opposition party and the leader and chief whip of the ruling party will get Rs 25,608 to cover remt. 

The bill also proposes Rs 15,000 as  expenses for MPs and other office-bearers for furnishings, and this is payable for one time after they are elected. Likewise, the bill has also proposed Rs 2,000 a month for electricity. Lawmakers will get a daily allowance of Rs 2,500 while travelling outside the capital on any parliamentary business.

The bill has not revised the travel insurance amount and the assistance amount to be provided to the family of a deceased MP or office-bearer. The government will provide insurance cover of Rs 1 million for  a lawmaker travelling abroad. Likewise, the family of a lawmaker who dies during tenure will get Rs 200,000 as assistance from the government . 


Leave A Comment