Prof. Charitha Herath, the chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), a member of parliament, declared that the Parliament would concentrate on taking specific action against officials who disregarded COPE’s recommendations and judgments.
At a special Committee on Public Enterprises hearing conducted in Parliament on Monday, he made reference to this (04).
The committee members were particularly involved in the discussion, and their opinions on three key concerns were gathered.
As a result, at the meeting, the review of the developments related to the COPE investigations carried out between February 23, 2022, and the present was taken into consideration.
In light of this, the COPE Chairman said that a report summarizing the inquiries made during this time had been prepared and distributed to the committee’s members.
He added that the report included the decisions pertaining to a number of organizations, including SriLankan Airlines, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, State Timber Corporation, People’s Bank, Development Lotteries Board, Building Materials Corporation, Litro Gas Lanka Limited, and Litro Gas Terminal Lanka (Private) Limited.
The committee’s chairman further noted that some reports pertaining to specific choices made by the committee had not yet been sent to the committee by these institutions.
The existing members of parliament made it clear that authorities who fail to carry out these choices should face heavy punishment. They emphasized the need for the committee and the parliament to take more action in this area. The members added that the general public should be aware that this is a location that serves essential purposes beyond media shows or limiting itself to idle conversation.
As a result, the Committee Chairman declared that the Committee is operating in accordance with the legislative authority granted by the Standing Orders and the Constitution. Additionally, he made note of the fact that major institutions will be called back and that future Parliament will take particular actions.
Additionally, COPE selected the dates for the meeting that was expressly intended to debate the Central Bank’s financial policies and the execution of the public debt.
On the 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd of this month, COPE decided to host a special meeting to consider this matter. The mutual agreement led to the summons of officials, including former Central Bank Governors and previous Ministry of Finance Secretaries.
Additionally, it was resolved to hold a special COPE meeting on August 2, 3, 4, and 5 to discuss the projects and electricity generation, procurement, and distribution of the Ceylon Electricity Board.
The decision to invite the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation to the COPE on the seventh of this month was also made at this meeting.
