Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology Action should be taken under Public Property Act - COPE

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana   

Action should be taken under the Public Property Act against those who alienated the Government’s stake of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) in signing the agreement on 12 May, 2015 without proper authority, the Committee on Public Enterprise (COPE) said in its report submitted  report, which was presented to Parliament yesterday.   
The report which quoted the Auditor General has recommended action against those whose action has deviated from the founding objectives of the Mahapola Fund under which the SLIIT was to be managed.   

The report has said the SLIIT has been transformed into a commercial venture and that it should be brought under the purview of a ministry.   

“The Cabinet decision dated May 24, 2017 taken to recognise SLIIT as an independent body and to remove it from the gazette notification that outlines the subject of ministers and enabling it not to fall within the scope of any ministry should be reviewed,” the report added.   

As per the Lankan law it has been decided on March 13, 2002 that the buildings and the land where SLIIT is located should be vested with the Mahapola Trust Fund and to keep it under the Ministry of Trade and Consumer Affairs and rename it as the SLIIT Mahapola Campus and to make SLIIT independent with pertinence to technical and administrative matters. However it has been observed that the fund has failed to implement these decisions as expected and that a government property has been utilised, creating a detrimental effect on the government and public,” the report further said.     

The report has recommended action  against those whose action has deviated from the founding objectives of  the Mahapola Fund under which the SLIIT was to be managed