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Public Accounts Committee tells CMC to have action plans approved in line with annual budget

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Prof. Vitharana addressing the meeting

The Committee on Public Accounts told the Colombo Municipal Council that it has to prepare its action plans in line with the Annual Budget and have them approved at the beginning of every financial year.

Given that the Auditor General’s reports have revealed that a proper action plan for 2020 and 2021 were not approved, the Committee stressed the need to take immediate action to prevent such situations in the future.

These facts were disclosed at the Committee on Public Accounts, chaired by Prof. Tissa Vitarana, examined the Auditor General’s reports for the CMC and the current performance of the Colombo Municipal Council.

J.J. Rathnasiri, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Services, Provincial Councils and Local Government, said that due to the pandemic there were problems in adhere to that practice, which was first introduced by the Treasury in 2020. The committee pointed out that the situation needed to be rectified and an action plan formulated from 2022.

The committee also drew attention to the revenue shortfall of the Municipal Council and said that it would be reconvened at a future date for further discussions. Prof. Vitarana instructed the officials of the Colombo Municipal Council to submit to the Committee data and Statistics on all the revenue, expenditure, deficit revenue and public assistance for the previous years.

State Ministers Dayasiri Jayasekara, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, (Dr.) Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Dumind Dissanayake, Prasanna Ranaweera, Members of Parliament Tissa Attanayake, Niroshan Perera, Sivagnanam Shritharan, Hesha Withanage, (Prof.) Ranjith Bandara, (Dr.) Upul Galappaththi, Weerasumana Weerasinghe, B.Y.G Ratnasekera, (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya and officials were present at the committee meeting.



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Cabinet nod for MOU between Sri Lanka and Romania on the cooperation in the Labour Field

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Romania, a country that has maintained diplomatic relationship with Sri Lanka for several decades in various fields, has become an increasingly popular destination among Sri Lankan skilled and semi-skilled Labour categories, especially in the fields of construction, manufacturing, hospitality, and services sectors.

At present, the recruitment of Sri Lankan workers to Romania is carried out by licensed private employment agencies under the
supervision of the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau. However, since both parties have recognized the need of establishing a more organized and sustainable recruitment method due to increasing  demand, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Government of Romania regarding cooperation in the field of the labour sector with the following objectives.

• Establishment of proper mechanism for recruitment and management of workers.
• Promotion of ethical and transparent recruitment practices.
• Protection of rights and welfare of the migrant workers.
• Facilitation of regular discussions between the formal and relevant authorities ofboth countries.
• Improvement of technical cooperation, skills recognition, and capacity building in the labour sector.

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New circular to replace Management Services Circular No. 01/2019

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The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by  the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance,
Planning, and Economic Development to repeal Management Services Circular No. 01/2019 , dated 15-03-2019, issued regarding the implementation of development projects, and to issue a new management services circular including updated provisions instead.

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Four Chief Prelates urge President to appoint NAO official as Auditor General

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Anura Kumara

Chief Prelates of the Malwathu, Asgiriya, Amarapura and Ramanna Nikayas, in a joint letter addressed to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has expressed concern over the protracted delay in appointing a permanent Auditor General.

The Chief Prelates have said that the appointment of an outsider as the Head of the National Audit Office (NAO) responsible for ensuring transparency and accountability in public finances will be inappropriate.

The Chief Prelates have said that they are of the view that Dharmapala Gammanpila, a senior officer with extensive experience within the Auditor General’s Department, is the ideal candidate for the top post. They have also emphasised that his appointment will strengthen the government’s efforts to promote economic prosperity.

Chulantha Wickramaratne, who served as AG for a period of six years, retired in April 2025. Following his retirement, President Dissanayake nominated H.T.P. Chandana, an audit officer at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, as the AG. The CC rejected that nomination. Subsequently, President Dissanayake appointed the next senior-most official at the NAO Dharmapala Gammanpila as Acting Auditor General for a period of six months. Then, the President nominated Senior Deputy Auditor General L.S.I. Jayarathne to serve in an acting capacity, but her nomination, too, was also rejected. Many an eyebrow was raised when the President nominated O.R. Rajasinghe, the Internal Audit Director of the Sri Lanka Army for the top post. That nomination too was rejected. As a result, the vital position remains vacant since 07 December, 2025.

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