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COPA report reveals several shortcomings

14 Jul 2019

By Maheesha Mudugamuwa The third report of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) on the financial and performance evaluation of state institutions, provincial councils, and local authorities for the financial year of 2017 has revealed a number of shortcomings and irregularities in maintaining the managerial efficiency and financial discipline of government institutions. The report which was submitted to Parliament by COPA Chairman MP Lasantha Alagiyawanna last month highlighted overall financial control and compliance to legal provisions on the performance of 838 institutions based on a networked assessment system. Out of the several irregularities highlighted in the report, it is observed that a total number of 17 ministries, seven special expenditure units, 43 departments, 14 district secretariats, and 54 provincial ministries and departments had not updated their register on fixed assets. In addition, it has further revealed that 27 ministries out of the total 48 had not responded to the audit queries on time and 21 ministries had failed to hold audit and management committees as stipulated. Furthermore, 23 ministries had not presented their annual performance reports within the stipulated period and 20 ministries had not submitted its annual board of survey report as stipulated. It has further revealed that 21 ministries had not disposed of the condemned vehicles within the stipulated period while 32 ministries had not settled the balance of advance accounts of more than a year. It is also highlighted that out of 22 special expenditure units, 14 had failed to hold audit management committees as stipulated. Further, 50 out of 93 government departments had not presented annual performance reports within the stipulated period. A total of 59 departments, 21 district secretariats, and 156 provincial ministries, departments and SEUs had not settled the balance of advance accounts of more than a year. Speaking to The Sunday Morning COPA Chairman MP Alagiyawanna said that the report was based on a questionnaire to cover the areas including performance and preparation of financial statements, measures taken by the institution for financial control, asset management, maintenance of records and submission of timely reports in keeping with the provisions of public sector accounting standards, implementation of internal audit programmes and other internal control measures, response to auditing, human resource management, and reporting performance to relevant authorities. According to him, the questionnaires that had been sent to the relevant institutions under this programme should be duly filled by the institutions and submitted to their respective chief accounting officers. The chief accounting officers then verify the information furnished and forward the same to the Auditor General who subjects the reports sent by each institution to an audit, which is carried out by the staff of the Auditor General and reported to Parliament. This entire process is carried out by entering relevant data into an integrated network which is fully computerised. The ability to cover all institutions within a short time span of three months and the ability to accomplish it using a paperless process are unique features of this system, he added. The committee is currently evaluating the key findings of these institutions and from 2016 to this year, the committee had summoned and questioned around 300 government institutions.

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