The Hon. Kabir Hashim

¶ 01 Reports of the Committee on Public Accounts

¶ 02 Hon. Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 119(3), I lay before Parliament the Reports of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) from the Fourth Report up to the Ninth Report for the First Session of the Tenth Parliament.

¶ 03 Among these, the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Reports contain information regarding inquiries conducted by COPA during the Fourth and Fifth Sessions of the Ninth Parliament, based on the Auditor General’s Reports. State institutions have already given positive responses to many recommendations arising from those inquiries, and I take this opportunity to appreciate the commendable work performed by COPA during this period.

¶ 04 The Seventh Report includes information on inquiries where the Colombo Municipal Council was summoned thrice before the Committee. It is a grave concern that despite very clear audit recommendations issued in 2023, the institution has failed to take adequate action, and a number of serious irregularities identified within the institution were observed by the Committee. Therefore, this Report is being presented to Parliament expeditiously.

¶ 05 The Eighth Report presents inquiries where the Department of Sri Lanka Railways was summoned thrice before the Committee. We observed that the Department has acted to implement many of COPA’s recommendations. A field observation at the Ratmalana Railway Workshop enabled Members to gain a good understanding of its operations.

¶ 06 I am pleased that today we are tabling the Ninth Report of COPA which sets out the online assessment, via the Management Information System, of compliance with financial discipline and operational coordination of all state institutions, provincial councils and local authorities for the financial year 2023.

¶ 07 This online evaluation process, commenced in 2017, assesses all state institutions under COPA’s purview for adherence to state financial discipline and compliance requirements, as well as the performance level of public service delivery. Scores are assigned accordingly. In 2023, 836 institutions were assessed online, and the observations are included in the Report being tabled today.

¶ 08 Given the very large number of institutions under COPA’s oversight, this online process helps to overcome practical constraints of summoning all entities before the Committee and guides the Committee in identifying weak-performing institutions in terms of operations and financial compliance for prompt scrutiny. COPA is also working to expand the indicators covered by the online evaluation each year.

¶ 09 Finally, acknowledging that the audit function is a post-facto process that significantly assists our oversight, I extend, on behalf of myself and the Members of the Committee, our appreciation to the Auditor General and the staff of the National Audit Office. I also thank the Secretary to the Committee and the Committee staff for efficiently managing proceedings, promptly conveying recommendations and minutes to the relevant authorities, and rendering an invaluable service by preparing these Reports to a high standard.

¶ 10 I lay the Reports as follows:

¶ 11 Reports 1 to 5: For the First Session of the Tenth Parliament, I present, with the special leave of the House, the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Reports in Sinhala only; English and Tamil versions will be presented as soon as possible.

¶ 12 Report 6: For the First Session of the Tenth Parliament, I also present the Ninth Report.