Request For Pay Hike to Auditor General Turned Down By CC.

The Auditor General’s Department  has requested the  Constitutional Council (CC)  to grant a special salary increment to Wijesinghe, who had joined the public service leaving the private sector.

Wijesinghe is entitled to a salary and other benefits equal to a permanent secretary to a ministry, the CC members said.

The Constitutional Council pointed out that though the Council had a mandate to make appointments to top posts including the Auditor General , it had no powers to increase their salaries and such requests should be forwarded to the Ministry of Finance.

The CC members were of the view that joining the public service from the private sector should not be a criterion for increasing the salaries of public servants , as it would lead to serious salary anomalies in the pubic service.

Those who accepted top government posts including the Auditor General and Attorney General had done so , knowing the salaries they would draw in those posts and it was not reasonable for them to seek increments thereafter, the CC members concluded .