The Committee of Public Enterprises of Parliament (COPE) vehemently condemned the remarks made by the Minister of Labor and Employment Manusha Nanayakkara with regard to the functions of the COPE and the Auditor General during an official event held on last December.
The COPE committee convened on January 05th has decided to express their concern over the Ministers statement and said
it is a wrong precedent to challenge and severely criticize the duties of the Auditor General and the powers of the COPE Committee.
The COP Committee met under the chairmanship of COP Chairman Prof. Ranjith Bandara and further decided to express its regret to the Auditor General and the staff.
The Auditor General had informed the COPE in a letter about the severe criticism made by the Minister of Labor and Foreign Employment Hon. Manusha Nanayakkara with regard to the powers of the Auditor General and the COPE.
The Auditor General pointed out that, although he stated as a Member of Parliament as well as a cabinet minister, the Committee on Public Enterprises established through the parliamentary system to strengthen the financial control of the Parliament has not exceeded its powers and has not provided any support for doing so.
Furthermore, the Auditor General further pointed out that statements made in a manner that violates the trust of the public sector, public representatives, and the general public in the implementation of the tasks and duties assigned to the Auditor General by the Constitution and other written laws are highly harmful to the expectations of parliamentary financial control.
Accordingly, the following proposals and decisions were presented by the committee after a lengthy discussion on this matter.
- The statement of the Minister of Labor and Foreign Employment is a wrong precedent and the Committee expressed its strong displeasure. In this regard, the Committee decided to express its regret to the Auditor General and his staff.
- Making a complaint to the Hon. Speaker regarding this statement.
- Inform the Hon. President in writing about the executive’s interference in the legislative process through this statement.
- Sending a copy of it to the Cabinet and the Prime Minister.
- Inform the Secretary of the Ministry of Labor and Foreign Employment in a letter to submit the progress of implementation of the recommendations given in the last COPE meeting within two days and to appear before the COPE on the 17th. Also, re-state to the Secretary of the ministry that the recommendations remain in effect.
- The tabling of a special report in the Parliament based on the discussion notes of the previous COPE meetings related to the Foreign Employment Bureau.
- The committee also drew attention to the summoning of sensitive institutions, especially financial institutions in the current economic situation.
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