Saturday Aug 23, 2025
Saturday Aug 23, 2025
Saturday, 23 August 2025 00:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Parliament Secretariat yesterday said that the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) found that the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) had failed to remit Overseas Sales Surcharges totalling Rs. 20.6 billion to the Treasury from 2018 to 2023.
The COPE, which met on Wednesday (20) to review Auditor General’s Reports for 2022 and 2023, found that the CAASL had retained the funds as income instead of crediting them to the Consolidated Fund as required under clauses in a 2008 Gazette.
COPE Chairman MP Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera said the audit revealed that while Rs. 90 million per month could be used for CAASL expenses, the balance should have been transferred to the Treasury.
The COPE also raised concerns over cost escalations in the Authority’s renovation projects. The renovation cost of a bungalow in Weerawila rose to Rs. 24 million from an original estimate of Rs. 4.5 million, while repairs at official quarters in Katunayake were found to have left many shortcomings unresolved despite the spending. The audit office reported Rs. 1.5 million had been spent on door repairs alone.
The COPE ordered a re-examination of the projects and directed the Ministry Secretary to provide accurate information within the required timeframe.
The session also examined longstanding staff shortages. 14 senior-level vacancies have remained unfilled for several years. Officials said recruitment efforts had failed because of low salary levels compared with industry standards, though applications had been invited again and approvals were being sought to fill the positions. Dr. Samaraweera urged the Department of Management Services to review salary structures and stressed the need to build local expertise in aviation regulation.
Lawmakers M.K.M. Aslam, Nilanthi Kottahachchi, Dilith Jayaweera, Prageeth Madhuranga, Sunil Rajapaksha, Chandima Hettiaratchi, and Dinesh Hemantha also attended the meeting.
