Best-performing State institutions of 2018 to be feted by President

Wednesday, 26 February 2020 01:06 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Performance-based awards on COPA recommendations
PM Office and National Audit Office finish on top at national level
NPC and Sabaragamuwa provincial ministries score high marks too
Nuwara Eliya and Kurunegala MC also fare well

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will present awards to the 110 best performing State institutions as recommended by the Parliamentary Committee on Public Account (COPA) at a ceremony to be held on 28 February at the parliamentary complex.

Committee Chairman MP Lasantha Alagiyawanna said the awards ceremony would recognise the achievements of State institutions that had performed at a high level in terms of compliance for the 2018 financial year.

Among the highest performing government institutions for 2018 were the Prime Minister’s Office with 100 points, followed by the National Audit Office which came in second. Meanwhile, the Northern Provincial Council’s Department of Irrigation and the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Ministry of Social Welfare, Probation and Child Care, Rural Development and Rural Industries and the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Office of the Deputy Chief Secretary - Financial Management and Personnel and Training have come out on top.

Among Municipal Councils, the Nuwara Eliya and Kurunegala MCs are at the top while among Urban Councils, the Kuliyapitiya and Minuwangoda Urban Councils were named top achievers. At the Pradeshiya Sabha level, the Ridigama PS and the Minuwangdoa PS secured 100 points each.

COPA presented reports on 844 State, Provincial Councils and Local Government institutions for the 2018 fiscal year to Parliament last week. COPA evaluates the public accounting systems, financial control and performance of Government institutions annually through a computer networking system and reports its findings in Parliament.

According to the computer networking system evaluating State, Provincial Councils and Local Government institutions functioning under the direction of the Committee on Public Accounts, nearly 110 organisations have performed highly. This program has been successfully implemented in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and continues for the 2018 fiscal year.

Alagiyawanna said that COPA’s objective was to recognise the best in the State sector and encourage others to be inspired so that the public got the best possible service.