I can’t work alone ; state ministers are no burden – Prasanna
Chief Government Whip Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has defended the move to appoint a host of State Ministers today (08).
In a special statement, he says that it is difficult to operate all state institutions with just 20 ministers.
“For example, there are 35 institutions under my purview. I cannot work alone. But when state ministers are appointed, they can be tasked with handling certain institutions, thus improving the quality. This is why the state ministers were appointed,” he says.
He also points out that only the salaries entitled as MPs will be paid to these State Ministers.
“Therefore, they will not become an additional burden to the government,” he said.
Thirty-seven state ministers were sworn in before President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (08). The move was severely criticized on social media with many questioning the need to appoint more ministers despite the country battling the worst economic crisis in recent times.
