CoPA report presented in P’ment

By Ashwin Hemmathagama 

– Our Lobby Correspondent

Information on investigations in respect of state institutions that were summoned before the Committee on Public Accounts (CoPA) during the first session of the eighth Parliament was presented in the Parliament yesterday.

The report contains facts of 27 investigations conducted by CoPA on 25 institutions related to the period from 6 June 2017 to 8 December 2017 and has highlighted five general observations along with 87 case-specific findings.

CoPA has fund faults with the rating units in institutions belonging to Local Authority Areas where weakness was observed in identifying rating units of institutions belonging to local authority areas, estimating rates and collecting rates and as a result, those local government authorities lose a huge income. The Committee has stressed that every rating unit should be assessed every 15 years, new units should be identified by obtaining information from Grama Niladharis and more attention should be paid to make the rate collection more methodical.

The Committee has observed that the vision and mission of District Secretariats differ from District to District. The Committee directed that the possibility is explored to formulate and implement the vision and mission of all Districts in uniformity, except where specific purposes exist in District Secretariats.

According to CoPA, there are various shortcomings in the process of giving permission and levying fees for name boards erected within the Municipal and Urban Council and Pradeshiya Sabha limits and has recommended that one single methodology be followed subject to the laws and rules of each Local Authority and carry out a periodic survey on these name boards and verify whether a revision of charges is necessary and levy charges accordingly.

The Committee has highlighted the absence of proper communication regarding circulars issued by the Ministry of Finance and instances where the Auditor General’s Department has not been enlightened regarding Circulars issued by the Ministry of Finance from time to time. As such, the Committee stresses that measures be taken to send a copy of every Circular issued by the Ministry of Finance to the Auditor General’s Department.

Last but not least, the attention of the Committee is focused on non-release of funds by the Treasury within the specified timeframe for construction of buildings. At the same time, it has been revealed before the Committee that there are instances when the State Development and Construction Corporation and the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau had not completed project work assigned to them within the specified time. 

It was also revealed that delays of payment on the part of the Treasury have occurred due to the inability to verify that work of the buildings under construction has been completed. The Committee has emphasised that as a solution for all this, reasons for non-completing within the specified time should be checked and remedial measures should be taken.

Among the matters specific to institutions, the Committee has paid its attention to the risky situations the prisoners have had to face at times, while they are being transported to Courts to appear for cases by the Department of Prisons. The Committee in the report recommended that the possibility of using video technology as a measure of averting this situation should be explored with discussions with the Minister of Justice in that regard.

Looking at the matters related to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Committee which observed the non-availability of a uniform methodology of conducting Audit and Management Committees of District Secretariats, and have emphasised that each district secretariat should pay its attention to it and adopt a methodology that is common to all District Secretariats and obtained the opinions of the Department of Management Audit regarding this matter. 

Accordingly, internal circulars issued by the Secretary to the Ministry of Home Affairs specifying the contents that are to be added on the agendas and the composition of the Audit and Management Committees that was sent to all District Secretaries and the effort to streamline it deserve applause.

MR says CC not impartial