Officials led by Auditor General Samudika Jayaratne briefed the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on the progress of the National Audit Office’s Annual Programme for 2026 during a recent committee meeting.
According to a statement issued following the meeting, the Committee reviewed several key issues, including the auditing of Samurdhi Banks, cyber security-related audit capacity, and the financial administration of the “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” programme.
During discussions on Samurdhi Bank audits, officials informed the Committee that audits for the years 2023 and 2024 must be completed before the audit for 2025 can proceed. However, the procurement process required to outsource these audits to external parties has not yet been finalized.
While initial assessments suggested that around 300 officers would be needed to conduct the audits, Auditor General Jayaratne stated that recruiting 200 officers over the next one and a half years would be sufficient to meet the requirement.
Officials also highlighted the lack of a dedicated audit framework for Samurdhi Banks and related societies. In response, the COPF Chair recommended conducting a comprehensive study and submitting a proposed audit framework for the Committee’s consideration.
The Committee further reviewed matters relating to cyber security and the National Audit Office’s audit capabilities. Officials noted that the department currently lacks in-house information technology specialists, resulting in system audits being carried out by external auditors.
In addition, COPF examined the account maintained for the government’s “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” programme. Officials from the National Audit Office informed members that no statutory fund currently exists under the name “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” and that the programme is being operated through an account maintained by the Deputy Secretary to the Treasury.
They further confirmed that no payments have been made through the account to date, according to the statement.
