President opens new Auditor-General's Dept building

Rasika Somarathna

President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared open the Auditor-General's Department's new headquarters building in Battaramulla yesterday. The Department currently at Independence Square in Colombo will be moved to the new five-storeyed building equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.

It has been built at a cost of Rs. 400 million. A commemorative first day cover and a souvenir were issued to mark the occasion. Auditor General H. A. S. Samaraweera presented a special memento to the President. "The Auditor General's Department over the years has rendered a yeomen service towards the welfare and progress of state finance control" Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne said.

"The opportunity gained in shifting its head office to a modern fully-equipped new building will offer added strength for it to play a wider role in future," he added speaking to a large gathering of officials, politicians etc, after the President opened the building.

Chairman, Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), Senior Minister, D. E. W. Gunasekera said that the Auditor General's Department lends special support to the COPE in reviewing whether state expenditure has been made in an efficient and productive manner.

The Senior Minister also opined that it was time for the Department to enhance its scope using the strengthened physical and human resources at its disposal. Auditor General H. A. S. Samaraweera also spoke, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, President's Secretary Lalith Weeratunga, Kaduwela Mayor G. H. Buddhadasa, representatives of several international organisations, former Auditors General and Department staff were present.