National Audit Service soon
 

BY Manjula Fernando and Ranil Wijayapala

A NATIONAL Audit Service will be set up by the Government shortly giving wider powers and autonomy to the Auditor General in his overall functions.

A paper proposing changes to two sections of the Constitution to make way for this critical change received green light from the Cabinet on Wednesday. The paper was submitted by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

Addressing reporters at the weekly Cabinet briefing, Constitutional Affairs and National Integration Minister Dew Gunasekera said the amendments based on a self-assessment conducted by the Auditor General's Department itself, with inputs from UK and Netherlands counterparts, the World Bank and the Finance Ministry will take away the Department from the executive's direct purview and place it under the legislature.

To further minimise outside pressures it has also been proposed to remove the Public Service Commission's authority over new appointments and transfers entrusting these powers with the Auditor General himself.

Minister Gunasekera said the amendments to the Constitution to facilitate the changes and the new Audit Bill will be brought before Parliament simultaneously.

The Cabinet also approved a two acre land to be released from Battaramulla for a new Secretariat building for the Auditor General comprising an in-house training centre.

He added that experience derived when setting up various Commissions under the 17th amendment will be taken into account to prevent past mistakes when this independent auditing body is created.

Explaining reasons for the necessity for the change the Minister said the Department's assessment has identified commitments towards other institutions and affiliations have obstructed the independence of the Department.

The new Bill is being prepared by the Constitutional Affairs Ministry.