The Budget Estimate of the National Audit Office for the year 2026 was taken up for consideration at the Committee on Public Finance(CoPF) held on Tuesday (19) and was approved to be presented to Parliament with the Committee’s proposals, the Department of Communication of Parliament said.

This consideration was carried out in terms of Section 34 of the Audit Act No. 19 of 2018.

Given that the Member of Parliament Dr. Harsha de Silva, Chair of the Committee on Public Finance, was overseas, the said Committee met under the chairmanship of the Member of Parliament Rauff Hakeem, Attorney at Law, who was appointed as the Acting Chair of the Committee, the statement added.

A group of officials representing the National Audit Office including Mr. G.H.D. Dharmapala, Acting Auditor General, as well as officials from the Department of National Budget, were present at this occasion.

Attention was drawn to the issues prevailing in the National Audit Office. 

Discussions were held on issues including the staff shortage and the introduction of modern technology at the Audit Office, which audits nearly 2,000 institutions including ministries, departments, foreign projects and state enterprises at the Committee meeting held, it added.

Officials of the Auditor General’s Department stated that at present only about 35 officials at the level of Chartered Accountant are serving in the National Audit Office, and that due to the prevailing salary scales there is a difficulty in retaining officials who have passed the higher examination bars in accountancy.

In addition, attention was also drawn to the importance of establishing an office system at the provincial level under the National Audit Office, and the possibility of enhancing efficiency with a minimum number of staff through the use of modern technological features such as Artificial Intelligence.

The Members of the Committee on Public Finance –Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Members of Parliament Ravi Karunanayake, Harshana Rajakaruna, Ajith Agalakada, Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathne, Nimal Palihena, Chithral Fernando, Attorney at Law, Wijesiri Basnayake, Thilina Samarakoon, Champika Hettiarachchi, and Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney at Law – participated in this Committee meeting.