News
CoPF Chief steps up pressure on Prez to appoint AG
House Committee, BASL and TISL take common stand
The Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) has found fault with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake for what it calls the inordinate delay in appointing a new Auditor General. CoPF Chairman Dr. Harsha de Silva, in a letter dated Dec. 22 addressed to President Dissanayake, has pointed out that the Office of the AG remains vacant.
The SJBer raised the serious issue with the President close on the heels of the interventions made by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL).
Dr. de Silva has emphasised that the failure on the part of the President to fill the vacancy is a matter of serious concern. The Constitutional Council has repeatedly rejected the President’s nominee while questioning his suitability.
The following is the text of CoPF Chairman’s letter to the President: ” I wish to respectfully bring to your attention that the Office of the Auditor General has remained vacant since 7 December, following the conclusion of the tenure of the Acting Auditor General on 6 December. At present, there is neither a substantive nor an acting Auditor General in the country, and consequently, the Audit Service Commission remains without a chairman. Given the prevailing circumstances of the country, the continuous absence of this constitutionally mandated post is a matter of serious concern.
Under Article 148 of the Constitution, Parliament exercises full control over public finance. The effective exercise of this control is constitutionally dependent on the continuous functioning of an independent audit mechanism.
Article 154 of the Constitution establishes the office of the Auditor General and mandates the audit of all State institutions and the reporting of such audits to Parliament. The absence of an Auditor General disrupts this mandatory constitutional process. This mandate is further reinforced by Section 3 of tile National Audit Act, No. 19 of 2018.
Moreover, the oversight functions of the Committee on Public Accounts, and the Committee on Public Enterprises in terms of Standing Orders 119, and 120 are directly dependent on audit reports issued by the Auditor General. The continued vacancy therefore materially undermines parliamentary financial oversight.
As the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) is responsible for reviewing the budget and work programme of the National Audit Office, I consider it my duty, as the Chair of the CoPF, to urge the immediate appointment of the Auditor General.
Accordingly, I respectfully request that urgent action be taken to appoint a suitable, qualified and experienced individual as the Auditor General in accordance with Article 153(1) of the Constitutional, without further delay.”
The Colombo Stock Exchange (GL 12) has contributed LKR 25 million to the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund.
The cheque was handed over to the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake by the Chairman of the Colombo Stock Exchange, Dimuthu Abeyesekera, the Chief Executive Officer Rajeeva Bandaranaike and Senior Vice Chairman Kusal Nissanka at the Presidential Secretariat.
News
Karu argues against scrapping MPs’ pension as many less fortunate members entered Parliament after ’56
Former Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya has written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressing concerns over the proposed abolition of MPs’ pensions.The letter was sent in his capacity as Patron of the Former Parliamentarians’ Caucus.
In his letter, Jayasuriya noted that at the time of Sri Lanka’s independence, political participation was largely limited to an educated, affluent land-owning elite. However, he said a significant social transformation took place after 1956, enabling ordinary citizens to enter politics.
He warned that under current conditions, removing parliamentary pensions would effectively confine politics to the wealthy, business interests, individuals engaged in illicit income-generating activities, and well-funded political parties. Such a move, he said, would discourage honest social workers and individuals of modest means from entering public life.
Jayasuriya also pointed out that while a small number of former MPs, including himself, use their pensions for social and charitable purposes, the majority rely on the pension as a primary source of income.
He urged the President to give due consideration to the matter and take appropriate action, particularly as the government prepares to draft a new constitution.The Bill seeking to abolish pensions for Members of Parliament was presented to Parliament on 07 January by Minister of Justice and National Integration Dr. Harshana Nanayakkara.
Five suspects, including former Minister Johnston Fernando and his two sons, who were arrested by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID), were further remanded until 30 January by the Wattala Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
The former Minister’s , sons Johan Fernando and Jerome Kenneth Fernando, and two others, were arrested in connection with the alleged misuse of a Sathosa vehicle during Fernando’s tenure as Minister.
Investigations are currently underway into the alleged misuse of state property, including a lorry belonging to Lanka Sathosa, which reportedly caused a significant financial loss to the state.
In connection with the same incident, Indika Ratnamalala, who served as the Transport Manager of Sathosa during
Fernando’s tenure as Minister of Co-operatives and Internal Trade, was arrested on 04 January.
After being produced before the Wattala Magistrate’s Court, he was ordered to be remanded in custody until 09 January.The former Sathosa Transport Manager was remanded on charges of falsifying documents.
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