The head of Sri Lanka’s Parliament Committee of Public Finance (CoPF) has expressed significant concerns regarding the delay in appointing an Auditor General, emphasizing that this delay is compromising Parliament’s financial oversight capabilities. Opposition legislator and CoPF chairman, Harsha De Silva, conveyed these concerns in a letter addressed to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, highlighting the serious implications of this delay.
Since December 7, the Office of the Auditor General in Sri Lanka has been operating without a leader after the President discontinued the extension of the Acting Auditor General’s appointment. President Dissanayake’s recommendations for the Auditor General position have been rejected by the country’s Constitutional Council on four occasions since the previous Auditor General retired. The position has remained vacant since April 2025 following the retirement of former Auditor General W.P.C. Wickramaratne.
De Silva stated in his letter, “At present, there is neither a substantive nor an acting Auditor General in the country, and consequently, the Audit Service Commission remains without a chairman. Given the prevailing circumstances of the country, the continuous absence of this constitutionally mandated post is a matter of serious concern.”
He further emphasized that the Constitution grants Parliament full control over public finance, and the effective exercise of this control relies on the continuous operation of an independent audit mechanism. The Auditor General’s office is responsible for auditing all state institutions and reporting these audits to Parliament. “The absence of an Auditor General disrupts this mandatory constitutional process,” De Silva noted.
Moreover, he explained, “The oversight functions of the Committee of Public Accounts and the Committee on the Public Enterprises are directly dependent on audit reports issued by the Auditor General. The continued vacancy therefore materially undermines Parliament’s financial oversight.” As the CoPF is tasked with reviewing the budget and work program of the National Audit Office, De Silva expressed it is his duty, as Chair of the CoPF, to advocate for the immediate appointment of an Auditor General.
In response to inquiries about the delay, Cabinet Spokesman and Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa suggested that certain members of the Constitutional Council, who are responsible for approving the appointment, have been rejecting the President’s recommendation without any justification. “The country really needs an Auditor General. That is why the President has presented the names of qualified persons, and the Constitutional Council should take a decision on it,” Jayatissa stated to reporters on Tuesday. However, he noted that the names have been rejected without any justification by some members, including those representing civil society. (Colombo/December 24/2025)
