The Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva
Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva sought clarification regarding references to the online visa issue, stating that the Committee on Public Finance had previously brought the matter before Parliament and court, including concerns about threats. He asked the Government to clarify which Opposition Members were being referred to and raised concern over the delay in appointing an Auditor General. As Chair of the Committee on Public Finance, he questioned whether a politically influenced appointment was being considered and emphasized the need for the Auditor General’s independence.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, I rise for a brief clarification under Standing Order 121(4). The Hon. Deputy Minister referred to the online visa matter. Let me inform him: the Committee on Public Finance arduously brought this to the House and to court; even death threats were discussed here. Perhaps he was not in Parliament then. When pointing at the Opposition, please specify who; many Opposition Members sit here.
¶ 02 We asked for the Auditor General’s report. But there is no Auditor General—no appointment yet. Yesterday when I raised it, I was told it would be made. News suggests a candidate has been politically floated while the senior-most officer is in service. Is the Government attempting a political appointment? The Auditor General is an independent office, and we expect independence. I say this as Chair of the Committee on Public Finance.
¶ 03 Thank you.
Provenance
- Source
- Hansard, Wednesday, 21 May 2025 ·No. 1749121318003248 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 21 May 2025. No. 1749121318003248. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/8101