ECONOMYNEXT – Head of Sri Lanka’s Parliament Committee of Public Finance (CoPF) has raised critical considerations over delay within the appointment of an Auditor Basic and stated such delay is undermining Parliament’s monetary oversight.
Opposition legislator and the chairman of CoPF Harsha De Silva in a letter to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated the delay has critical implications.
The island nation’s Workplace of the Auditor Basic has been functioning with out a head since December 7 after the president stopped extending the appointment of Performing Auditor Basic.
President Dissanayake’s advice for Auditor Basic has been rejected by the nation’s Constitutional Council 4 instances previously because the final Auditor Basic retired.
The submit has been vacant since April 2025 after former Auditor Basic W.P.C. Wickramaratne retired.
“At current, there may be neither a substantive nor an performing Auditor Basic within the nation, and consequently, the Audit Service Fee stays with out a chairman,” De Silva wrote in his letter to the President.
“Given the prevailing circumstances of the nation, the continual absence of this constitutionally mandated submit is a matter of great concern.”
He identified that the Structure says the parliament has the total management over public finance and the efficient train of this management is constitutionally depending on the continual functioning of an impartial audit mechanism.
The workplace of the Auditor Basic has to audit all State establishments and is remitted to report such audits to parliament.
“The absence of an auditor basic disrupts this obligatory constitutional course of,” De Silva stated.
“Furthermore, the oversight capabilities of the Committee of Public Accounts, and the Committee on the Public Enterprises ….are straight depending on audit stories issued by the Auditor Basic. The continued emptiness due to this fact materially undermines parliament monetary oversight.”
“Because the Committee of Public Finance, ( CoPF) is answerable for the reviewing the price range and work programme of the Nationwide Audit Workplace, I contemplate it my obligation, as a Chair of the CoPF, to induce the rapid appointment of the Auditor Basic.”
When requested in regards to the delay, Cupboard Spokesman and Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa stated some members of the Constitutional Council, which is accountable to approve the appointment, have been rejecting the President’s advice with none justifications.
“The nation actually wants an Auditor Basic. That’s the reason the President has introduced the names of certified individuals and the Constitutional Council ought to take a call on it,” Jayatissa advised reporters on Tuesday.
However, he stated, the names have been rejected with none justifications by some members together with these three representing civil society. (Colombo/December 24/2025)
