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COPE gets tough with ministry secretaries

07 Feb 2012 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Ministry secretaries who fail to act against institution heads found responsible for irregularities and misappropriations will be reported to Parliament by the parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE).

COPE Chairman and Senior Minister D.E.W. Gunasekera said the inquiries for 2012 would begin on February 23 and COPE would introduce a new formula to put an end to waste and corruption at public enterprises.

“The ministry secretaries, who function as chief accounting officers of state institutions are required to take disciplinary or legal action against the top officials found responsible for mismanagement, waste and financial losses,” the minister said and added that Parliament was expected to direct subject ministers to take action against secretaries who failed to act.

He said COPE would summon ex-chairmen, DGs, GMs, Chief Accountants, Finance Directors or any other official of loss-making institutions and ask them to give valid reasons for financial losses and mismanagement during their term of office.

“President Mahinda Rajapaksa is keen to put an end to the mismanagement and waste at public enterprises and convert them into profit-making ventures. That is why he submitted the report to the Cabinet and instructed ministers to maintain administrative and financial discipline at state institutions,” the minister said.

Last year COPE probed audit reports of 229 public institutions and the report was tabled in parliament and released to the media before the 2012 budget report.

COPE issued guidelines and an action plan to ensure an administration, which is free of corruption and waste.

Estimated losses from mismanagement, corruption and waste at public enterprises in 2008, 2009 and 2010 are reported to be a colossal Rs.19 billion. (Sandun A. Jayaskera)

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COPE gets tough with ministry secretaries

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