Historic COPE report presented in House

Sandasen Marasinghe, Irangika Range and Disna Mudalige

Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) chairman and Human Resources Senior Minister DEW Gunasekera yesterday presented a historic report of COPE prepared after examining 229 government institutions from 2010-2011, in Parliament, which was appreciated by all government and Opposition members.

He tabled the first report of the Committee on Public Enterprises for the first session of the seventh Parliament in terms of Standing Order 126.

Minister Gunasekera said COPE successfully completed its assignment for the period 2010-2011 which he believed was an unprecedented record in the history of country's legislature.

He added that it happened under stewardship of Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa.

The minister also stated that the Committee had its first sittings on June 8, 2010 and examining commenced on August 4, 2010. The Committee examined 229 institutions which had not been examined for several years. Some institutions never had been summoned before the Committee. Only 110 institutions were examined between 2006 and 2010.

The Committee appointed three sub committees on the basis of sectors namely - Finance, Agriculture, Media and Health and Education in order to expedite the process of examining the public enterprises.

The three sub committees were chaired by Minister Susil Premajayantha, MP Karu Jayasuriya and Deputy Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna. Chief Government Whip and Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena stated that the report should be printed. Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga stated a day's debate should be held on the report as so many valuable facts were included in it. He also said it should be debated after the budget debate was over.

UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera thanking Minister DEW Gunasekera for presenting a successful COPE report stated that the examinations were conducted unbiasedly. DNA MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that he thanked COPE chairman for examining 229 institutions to prepare the report which is unprecedented. But there should be a mechanism to enact the recommendations by the COPE committee.

UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake stated that he had been a member of 18 COPE committees since 1994. He added that he appreciates the neutrality with which the examinations on 229 institutions were carried out.