Committee On Public Enterprises (Sri Lanka)

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The Committee On Public Enterprises (COPE) is a parliamentary committee established on July 21, 1979 by the Parliament of Sri Lanka.[1]

Mission[]

The intention of the committee is to ensure the compliance of financial discipline in Public Corporations and other Semi Governmental bodies in which the Government of Sri Lanka has a financial stake.

Structure[]

COPE consists of 31 Members reflecting the party composition in the House established under the Standing Order 126 at the beginning of each Parliamentary Session and the Chairman is elected by the Members of the Committee at its first session. Its quorum is four.[2]

Past chairmen[]

Notable investigations[]

Sri Lanka Insurance: In 2007, COPE revealed that the privatization process of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation which undertook in the year 2003 was irregular.[7] As a result of a case filed in the Supreme Court challenging the privatization of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation, On 4 June 2009, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka annulled the sale of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation.[8]

Ceylon Petroleum Corporation: In 2012 August, The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has been summoned to appear before a committee for the investigations following alleged imports of substandard fuel.[citation needed] Following the probes from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Bribery Commission, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed his ministers to appoint new chairmen when the present corrupt Heads are removed and to reconstitute all such Boards of Management in state institutions.[9]

Central Bank of Sri Lanka bond issue : In 2016 October COPE revealed that Governor of the Central Bank Arjuna Mahendran should be held responsible for the Bond Issue Scam and legal action should be taken against him.[10][11] However President Maithripala Sirisena has announced that he has appointed a to further investigate the case.[12]

Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology: SLIIT was investigated for its alleged misuse of Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund. In 2021, SLIIT has been asked to appear before the Committee On Public Enterprises (Sri Lanka) for the investigations following misuse of public funds.[13][14][15][16] SLIIT has refused to appear before the Committee and COPE expressed its displeasure over the fact. In 2020, the Sri Lankan parliament and COPE appointed a committee to investigate the misuse of public funds by the SLIIT; this committee included 22 members of the Sri Lankan parliament. According to its final report released in April 2021, the top management of the SLIIT has taken a series of informal steps to vest state resources in private ownership and recommends legal action be taken under the Public Property Act against parties who alienated state ownership and management of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology without proper authority.[17]

References[]

  1. ^ "Parliament of Sri Lanka - Committee on Public Enterprises". Parliament.lk. 1979-06-21. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  2. ^ "Some Reflections of the Parliamentary Committee On Public Enterprise". Asian Tribune. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  3. ^ "Sri Lanka Political News | Online edition of Daily News - Lakehouse Newspapers". Dailynews.lk. Archived from the original on 2013-03-30. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  4. ^ http://www.tisrilanka.org/pub/li/pdf/COMDOC1028_document.pdf
  5. ^ Gamini Gunaratna, Sri Lanka News Paper by LankaPage.com (LLC)- Latest Hot News from Sri Lanka (2012-06-25). "Sri Lanka : Committee monitoring public enterprises of Sri Lanka to summon heads of Central Bank and SriLankan Airlines". Colombopage.com. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  6. ^ "Features | Sundayobserver.lk - Sri Lanka". Sundayobserver.lk. Archived from the original on 2012-09-05. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  7. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-04. Retrieved 2012-08-22.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ "Financial Times - People's power to be mobilised against corruption". Sundaytimes.lk. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  9. ^ "COPE wants more Corp Heads out". nation.lk. Archived from the original on 2013-06-24. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  10. ^ Mahendran responsible for CB Bond scam: COPE report http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Mahendran-responsible-for-CB-Bond-scam-COPE-report--118266.html
  11. ^ Sri Lanka: COPE report on CB bond issue presented in Parliament http://www.slguardian.org/2016/10/sri-lanka-cope-report-on-cb-bond-issue-presented-in-parliament/ Archived 2017-02-13 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "Daily FT 23 Jan 2017".
  13. ^ https://www.themorning.lk/mahapola-trust-fund-controversy-legal-action-urged-against-sliit/
  14. ^ https://www.newsfirst.lk/2019/05/01/assets-of-mahapola-owned-sliit-worth-billions-swindled/
  15. ^ https://economynext.com/mahapola-fund-has-lost-over-lkr600-million-cope-77765/
  16. ^ https://www.dailynews.lk/2021/01/13/local/238682/mahapola-trust-fund-incurred-rs-673-mn-loss-online-lottery
  17. ^ Second Report of the Committee on Public Enterprises Special Report Presented by the Committee on Public Enterprises on The Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Invested and Established by the Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund (PDF) (Report). 2021-07-30.

Further reading[]

External links[]

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