The Auditor General yesterday slammed the “secretary mafia” for delaying the awaited audit bill, which has been over a decade in the working.

“The audit bill is being blocked by the Ministry secretaries, the highest ranking mafia group in Sri Lankan Government service. They do whatever they need, and what will be a benefit for them. If they see anything as a challenge for them, then they won’t do it. When they read the audit bill they feel that it is an attack on themselves, the secretary thinks what will happen to himself and that is why he is trying to change those sections,” said Auditor General Gamini Wijesinghe.

The bill has shuttled between offices and has under gone amendments over 24 times, he said, adding that the Auditor General Department has come to a compromise with the requests made by the secretaries who also the designated Chief Financial Officers in the Ministry.

Wijesinghe also highlighted that the Audit Commission, which was established through the 19th amendment, is inactive without the Audit bill being passed through the act.

“I have repeatedly highlighted this to the Government. All I can do is to inform them of the situation and suggest that we prevent expenditure associated with the commission as it is unable to function without the act being implemented,” he said.