President applauds Committee on Public Accounts

During the gold and silver award ceremony held at the Parliament complex, President Ranil Wickremesinghe commended the Committee on Public Accounts (CoPA) for their exceptional efforts in enhancing efficiency within the public sector. He expressed gratitude towards State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna for his dedicated leadership in this regard.

The President highlighted Parliament’s special responsibility in ensuring financial discipline and stressed the importance of utilizing power effectively to prevent financial crises. He acknowledged the achievements of high-performing government institutions, which were honoured at the ceremony.

The President emphasised the significance of digitalization, innovation, and the need for unified efforts to drive economic progress. He called for effective control of public expenditure, maximizing value, boosting revenues, and strengthening the country’s economy through a robust administrative mechanism.

The President also underlined the importance of joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and expanding relations with India as essential steps toward building a strong economy.

He acknowledged the challenges arising from divided institutions and urged the prioritization of programs aimed at overcoming these obstacles and achieving progress in the agricultural sector.

Each year, the computer network system developed by the Information Systems and Management Department of Parliament evaluates the public accounting methods, financial control, and performance of State, provincial councils, and local governments. This evaluation process is overseen by the Committee on Public Accounts and investigated by the Auditor General. Based on the assessment, government institutions demonstrating outstanding performance are honoured with awards.

In 2019, a total of 833 government institutions underwent evaluation. Among them, 15 institutions received gold awards, while 30 institutions received silver awards. These accolades were presented across various categories, including Government Ministries, Departments, Special Expenditure Units, District Secretariats, Provincial Council Funds, Provincial Ministries, Departments, Special Expenditure Units, Provincial Council Statutory Bodies, Municipal Councils, and Regional Councils.

The award ceremony took place virtually via Zoom technology, with participation from over 1000 government institutions, including Ministries, Departments, Provincial Councils, and Divisional Secretariats.

During the ceremony Chairman of the Committee on Public Accounts Lasantha Alagiyawanna commended all successful government institutions and highlighted that over 98 per cent of them had made significant progress since 2015. The State Minister emphasised the importance of responsible financial management and urged everyone to actively contribute to President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s vision of transforming the country into a developed nation by 2048.

President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake acknowledged that the Constitution itself entrusted Parliament with the responsibility of overseeing public finances. He also appreciated the leadership role played by CoPA Chairman Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapakse, Chief Organizer of the Opposition Lakshman Kiriella, Prime Minister’s Secretary Anura Dissanayake, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Sirwardena, Auditor General W. P. C. Wickramaratne, Parliament Secretary General Kushani Anusha Rohanadeera, Director of Information Systems and Management of Parliament Mahesh Perera and others attended the event.