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Central Cultural Fund collects Rs. 13 b without authorisation

17 Apr 2022

  • Audit report reveals money collected from 2016-2019
  • Funds used for projects without Cabinet approval 
By Imesh Ranasinghe The Central Cultural Fund has, without authorisation, collected Rs. 13 billion between 2016-2019 from selling tickets to tourists visiting sites outside the Cultural Triangle, which is not a task permitted through the Act of the Fund, a report from National Audit Office said. Further, the money collected has been used to fund projects without proper Cabinet approval. The fund has been authorised to levy charges for entrance tickets from visitors and tourists who enter the area depicted as the Cultural Triangle, which includes Anuradhapura, Ritigala, Polonnaruwa, Ramba Vihara, Sigiriya, Yapahuwa, Buduruwagala, Ibbankatuwa, Namal Uyana and museums of Kataragama, Galle,  Sigiriya, Kandy and Dambulla. Contrary to the provisions of the Act however, the ticket money has been collected from tourists who enter the heritage sites located outside the Triangle, including Galle, Ramba Vihara, Ape Gama, Kataragama, Yapahuwa, and Buduruwagala. Further, the report revealed that the investment of money belonging to the Fund and recalling invested money had been carried out since 2015 without obtaining proper approval. Moreover, provision for the Fund’s operations was not made by the Treasury and yearly expenses had been financed using income earned by the Fund. Excess expenditure has been covered by recalling investments of the Fund. Between 2015 and 2019, Rs. 2.6 billion worth of investments were recalled on 28 occasions at the discretion of the Board of Governors of the Fund to cover excess expenses, with 19 investments worth Rs. 2 billion recalled in 2019 from this number. The report showed that only 13 board meetings were held at the Fund between 2015-2019, with the Prime Minister, who is the Chairman of the Board, having participated in three meetings and presided over one, while the rest of the meetings had been presided over by the Minister in charge of the subject – current Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. The Fund, which earned an income of approximately Rs. 2.9 billion in 2015, had earned an income of Rs. 4 billion in 2019. Moreover, a total expenditure of Rs. 2.01 billion had been incurred in 2015 and an expenditure of up to Rs. 4.168 billion had been incurred by 2019. Accordingly, it was observed that an expenditure of Rs. 0.131 billion had been incurred against the Fund’s income by 2019.  However, in granting aid for promoting the maintenance of religious places and religious rites, the Fund had issued cheques relating to a sum of Rs. 27 million in 63 instances during 2019 to officers and employees in the staff of the Minister of Cultural Affairs, without following aforesaid provisions.  The ‘Sisu Daham Sevana’ project was initiated in 2019 to construct and donate religious school buildings covering the whole island and representing all religions. Plans had been laid to construct 332 religious school buildings according to the same building plan, with the programme having an estimated value of Rs. 1,140 million. Despite requiring the approval of the Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee (CAPC) for procurement activities exceeding Rs. 250 million, said approval had not been obtained for this programme.  Further, the cost of a Sisu Daham Sevana Dhamma School building was Rs. 3,484,500, and a provision of Rs. 1,282.2 million was required for the construction of 368 religious school buildings. However, it had been agreed to construct buildings valued at Rs. 142.2 million, in excess of the approved allocation. The report revealed that the project had been initiated without the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers, and construction of 298 religious school buildings had been commenced under the three phases, with Rs. 753.5 million paid to the construction institutes by 30 October 2019.  However, only 45 religious schools had been built and handed over to the relevant institute under the first phase.   

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