COPE takes GSMB to task for irregularities

The Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) had not paid royalty to the Treasury for many years, Prof. Charitha Herath, Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) noted when officials of the GSMB Technical Services (pvt) Ltd, affiliated to the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau, were summoned before COPE on 23 February.

Instead of transferring funds to the Treasury, officials had deposited the money in the fixed deposit accounts of the Bureau. Although the royalty collected by the Bureau from the year 2016 to 2021 was Rs. 16,591,075,088 only Rs. 8,520,235,812 has been transferred to the Treasury.

The watchdog Committee also looked into salaries paid by the Bureau to employees of GSMB Technical Services (pvt) Ltd. A number of staff members had been recruited in excess of the approved cardre and the Chairman of the COPE instructed the Secretary to the Ministry to conduct an inquiry into the matter. The COPE Chairman said that if there was a shortage of staff in the Bureau, it should inform the Department of Management Services and obtain approval.

The COPE noted that the Action Plan prepared for the Bureau for the years 2019-2023, at a cost of Rs. 2,581,633, had not yet been properly submitted to the board of directors for approval. It also took into account the shortfall in the number of Audit Committee meetings held by the Bureau in the recent past, and stressed the need for conducting proper audit meetings.

Prof. Herath also drew attention to the fact that Parliament had not been informed of the progress of the implementation of the recommendations made by the COPE on the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau dated 18 September 2019. The members of the committee emphasized that Parliament be made aware of the implementation of the recommendations made by the parliamentary watchdog.

The two institutions are due to be called before COPE again in another month’s time.

In addition, the first report of the Committee on Public Enterprises of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament was tabled for the approval of the Members of the Committee. The third report of the first session could not be tabled in Parliament and the committee members agreed to table it on 25 Feb.