Cancellation of 100 Million Dollar Loan to Srilanka
A discussion was held in connection with this loan on 16th June 2017. World Bank representatives , Finance Ministry officials and Audit department officials participated in this discussion.
At this discussion an adviser to the Economic Management Committee and an officer of the Finance Ministry have told World Bank Representatives, that it is difficult to get the approval of the Parliament to Audit Bill due to reasons, that one of the top level individual of the Government as well as Ministry Secretaries are against it because it gives more powers to the Auditor General . Hence the Audit Bill cannot be presented and passed in the Parliament ,said Finance Ministry official. But the Audit Department officials participated in this discussion insisted that this Audit bill should be passed in Parliament. World Bank representatives stood by the Audit Department officials and said, that they have no other alternative except exercising pressure on the Government to get the Audit bill passed in the parliament. So they announced that the proposed 100 million dollar loan to Srilanka scheduled to be released in September 2017 will be suspended until the Audit Bill passed in the Parliament.
To hold further discussion on this matter , World bank representatives decided to invite the Auditor General Gamini Wijesinghe to the World Bank shortly.
