INACTIVE AUDIT COMMISSION EXPENSES TOP RS 33 MN

The expenses of the Audit Service Commission, which has been inactive due to non-passage of the National Audit Act in Parliament, totalled Rs 33 million in 2016, the Commission’s Annual Report revealed. The report was tabled in Parliament last Friday.

The Audit Service Commission was set up in November 2015 following the passage of 19th Amendment to the Constitution, but it has been unable to carry out its functions due to the absence of Audit Act.

The report further said the Commission has been unable to make any appointment, promotion, transfer, disciplinary control, dismissal of the members belonging to the Audit Service due to the non-establishment of the Sri Lanka State Audit Service. Till the Act is passed, the Public Service Commission exercises those powers of the Audit Commission.

Out of the Audit Commission’s total expenditure of Rs 33 million in 2016, Rs 26 million had been spent on recurrent expenditure and Rs 6 million on capital expenditure. The Commission had paid salaries and wages, overtime and holiday payments, and other allowances to the tune of Rs 11.5 million in 2016.

According to the report, the Commission had spent Rs 9.4 million as rents and local taxes. This amount includes the rental for the office building which was shifted from the Auditor Generals’ Department to No 35 A, Dr. N.M. Perera Mawatha, Colombo 8 in April 2016.

The Commission had spent Rs 5.9 million to buy furniture and office equipment. It had spent another Rs 1 million for stationary and office requisites, Rs 1.5 million for fuel, Rs 266,000 for electricity and water, Rs 300,000 for vehicle maintenance, and Rs 96,000 for diets and uniforms.

The report indicated 51 percent vacancies existed at the Commission against the approved cadre as at December 31, 2016. The total number of existing cadre was 21 against the 43 approved cadre of the Commission.

The report said a financial allocation of Rs 35.5 million was received to the Commission from the Treasury for year 2016.

The Audit Commission is chaired by Gamini Wijesinghe (Auditor General) and comprises members Nihal Sunil Rajapaksha, I. Gamini Abeyarathna, V.Kandasamy and W. A. Somapala Perera. The Commission had conducted 16 meetings in 2016 and had repeatedly brought the attention of the relevant authorities of the need to pass the Audit Act for the Commission to execute its full powers vested under the Constitution.

The report was tabled in Parliament last Friday. The Audit Service Commission was set up in November 2015 following the passage of 19th Amendment to the Constitution, but it has been unable to carry out its functions due to the absence of Audit Act.

The report further said the Commission has been unable to make any appointment, promotion, transfer, disciplinary control, dismissal of the members belonging to the Audit Service due to the non-establishment of the Sri Lanka State Audit Service. Till the Act is passed, the Public Service Commission exercises those powers of the Audit Commission.

Out of the Audit Commission’s total expenditure of Rs 33 million in 2016, Rs 26 million had been spent on recurrent expenditure and Rs 6 million on capital expenditure. The Commission had paid salaries and wages, overtime and holiday payments, and other allowances to the tune of Rs 11.5 million in 2016.

According to the report, the Commission had spent Rs 9.4 million as rents and local taxes. This amount includes the rental for the office building which was shifted from the Auditor Generals’ Department to No 35 A, Dr. N.M. Perera Mawatha, Colombo 8 in April 2016.

The Commission had spent Rs 5.9 million to buy furniture and office equipment. It had spent another Rs 1 million for stationary and office requisites, Rs 1.5 million for fuel, Rs 266,000 for electricity and water, Rs 300,000 for vehicle maintenance, and Rs 96,000 for diets and uniforms.

The report indicated 51 percent vacancies existed at the Commission against the approved cadre as at December 31, 2016. The total number of existing cadre was 21 against the 43 approved cadre of the Commission.

The report said a financial allocation of Rs 35.5 million was received to the Commission from the Treasury for year 2016.

The Audit Commission is chaired by Gamini Wijesinghe (Auditor General) and comprises members Nihal Sunil Rajapaksha, I. Gamini Abeyarathna, V. Kandasamy and W. A. Somapala Perera. The Commission had conducted 16 meetings in 2016 and had repeatedly brought the attention of the relevant authorities of the need to pass the Audit Act for the Commission to execute its full powers vested under the Constitution. 

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