Minister calls for more financial discipline

Anushika Ranadewa

The Auditor General's Department is a strong and powerful department which has a vital role to play in maintaining financial discipline in the public sector. It should act as an independent and autonomous entity to prevent financial misfortunes created by inaction and wrong decisions taken by state officials, said Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa.

He was addressing the 56th Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka Audit Service Association recently. Senior Minister D. E. W. Gunasekera participated as chief guest.

The minister cited the cess tax imposed on coconuts as an example of wrong decisions of officialdom and alleged that even before the Cabinet took a final decision, the Secretary to the Finance Ministry had imposed the cess tax prior to minister's consultations with the coconut producers about its impact.

"No nation could prosper if officialdom is allowed to act in such an arbitrary manner. It is the duty of the minister to raise issues in such events and discipline officials," he said.

Citing another example, Minister Weerawansa said the Finance Secretary instructed the district secretaries to recruit 100,000 graduates where it was concluded to employ 40,000 to identified positions in the public service. Currently, there is an excess of 60,000.

"They will before long suffer monotony and may protest against the government. The consequences of such will be distressing," he said.

He explained how the country provide free education, free health and Samurdhi even with an overdraft of loans and said some officials are trying to make the country addicted to loans.

The minister said reducing the vehicle tax to zero is another major devastating mistake that some economic experts made. Therefore, the minister highlighted the importance of the responsibility of the Auditor General's Department to impede such misfortunes.

"The services of the department have to be autonomous, strong and powerful," he said.

He said Sri Lanka being a country that defeated war do not have to be a slave of loans and said these are the challenging situations that the country is facing at present.

He said the department plays an important role in achieving financial discipline, accounting measures and checks and balances together with rendering an immense service to the state by reducing waste and upholding the efficiency in the public sector through audit proceeding.

"The Audit service is also a risky profession and measures should be taken to safeguard it," he said.

The Audit Services Association set up in 1956 comprises 175 members. The audit of the accounts of all offices of the government and reporting to Parliament annually is the key function of the association.

Auditor General H. A. S. Samaraweera launched the new website of the association. Audit Services Association Chairman J. H. M. I. Gunaratne, Secretary T. Suraweera, Planning Services Association Chairman and members of the Audit Services Association were present.