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Parliament lacks wherewithal to ensure fiscal discipline – Head of Public Finance Committee
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Lawmaker Anura Priyadarshanaya Yapa has said that the Parliament lacks the wherewithal to ensure fiscal discipline though the House is entrusted with that task. MP Yapa, who heads the Committee on Public Finance (COPF), emphasised the urgent need for a system overhaul with proper mechanisms put in place in and out of the Parliament for that purpose. He stressed the need for the Treasury and Parliament had units to prepare, examine and re-examines estimates.
The Kurunegala District MP said so when The Island sought his response to former Attorney General Gamini Wijesinghe’s criticism of Parliament recently over its failure to ensure financial discipline. Wijesinghe blamed Parliament for the overall deterioration of the national economy.
Lawmaker Yapa was among a few MPs present when Wijesinghe delivered the keynote address at an event jointly organised by the March 12 Movement and the polls monitoring body, PAFFREL, at the Sri Lanka Foundation (SLF).
Lawmaker Yapa explained how members of Parliament regardless of their position on a particular finance bill would have to go along with the respective parties. The COPF as well as COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises) and COPA (Committee on Public Accounts) lacked constitutional authority and necessary changes in Standing Orders to address issues at hand, he asserted.
Commenting on Wijesinghe’s proposals meant to restore confidence in the parliamentary system of governance unveiled at the SLF, lawmaker asked whether it would be possible even to think of the executive, the legislature and the judiciary being subjected to normal law of the land. These issues should be discussed in a rationale way taking into consideration the state of the economy at the time decisions were taken as regards development projects, the former minister said.
“There is no point in denying accusations regarding waste, corruption and irregularities in the absence of proper checks and balances. Larger the allocations, bigger the issues,” MP Yapa said. Commenting on COPE and COPA, the former Minister pointed out both watchdog committees dealt with situations inquired into by the Auditor General. Both committees could make recommendations but lacked the authority to ensure required action, the MP pointed out.
COPF Head Yapa also called for a tangible action plan without further delay. The country could not go on living on borrowed money. In spite of quite a number of statements made by various interested parties, there hadn’t been a concentrated effort to address the issues at hand, he said.
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Russian Embassy, Russian House, unveil plaque at Public Library in honour of 80th anniversary of victory day
The Russian Embassy in Sri Lanka and the Russian House in Colombo unveiled a plaque at the public library Colombo today (29th April) in honour of the 80th anniversary of victory day.
Victory Day is celebrated on the 9th of May, the day Nazi Germany was defeated in World War II. It is an important date in the Russian calendar and an integral part of Russian culture.
The plaque was jointly unveiled by the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Sri Lanka Lenav Dzhagaryan and Ms Maria Popova Counsellor of the Russian Embassy in Sri Lanka and Director of the Russian House in Colombo
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Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Plan Implementation and Economic Development to grant policy approval of the Cabinet of Ministers for the said initial draft and appoint a special committee with the following composition to submit appropriate proposals for further enhancing after reviewing the initial draft:
• Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha Fernando, Minister of Labour and the Deputy Minister of Economic Development – (Chairman)
• Hon. Sunil Handunneththi Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship
• Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co – operative Development
• Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Sooriyapperuma Deputy Minister of Finance Plan Implementation
The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal submitted by the Minister of Justice and National Integration to appoint Thilak Nandana Hettiarachchi, a special grade officer in Sri Lanka Administrative Service who served in the post of Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Buddha Shasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, to the post of Commissioner General of Official Languages with immediate effect.
Russian Embassy, Russian House, unveil plaque at Public Library in honour of 80th anniversary of victory day
Ministerial committee appointed to review and further enhance ‘State Commercial Enterprises Management draft bill’
Thilak Nandana Hettiarachchi appointed Commissioner General of Official Languages
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