This is one of the two Financial Committees in the Parliament. It consists of twelve members nominated by the Committee of Selection. The duty of this Committee is to examine the accounts showing the appropriation of the sums granted by Parliament to meet the public expenditure.
The task of the Committee on Public Accounts is to probe the managerial efficiency and financial discipline of the Government, its Ministries, Departments, Provincial Councils and Local Authorities. The Committee is established at the beginning of each Parliamentary Session under Standing Order 125 and consists of 24 Members. It reflects the party composition in Parliament and its quorum is four.
The duty of the Public Accounts Committee is to examine the sums voted by Parliament along with the report of the Auditor-General, which is in 06 volumes. In the course of its deliberations, the Committee obtains evidence from the Secretaries to the respective Ministries, who are the Chief Accounting Officers, Heads of Departments and other responsible Officers. The Committee also regularly summons the Directors-General of Public Finance, State Accounts and National Budget or their nominated representatives.
It is the duty of the Chief Accounting Officers to personally appear before the Committee in order to explain and justify the financial activities of the Departments under the purview of their Ministries.
The recommendations of the Committee may contain directives to Government Departments and Ministries and such directives are deemed to be those of the Parliament.
Copies of Committee reports are distributed among the respective Officers of the Ministries, Departments, Provincial Councils and Local Authorities.
Since independence the following Members have held the post of Chairman of Public Accounts Committee:
Committee on Public Accounts of the Eighth Parliament
Name
Anusha C.P.Suriyapperuma
Telephone
011 2777382
Fax
011 2777559
pac@parliament.lk
Eighth Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka | First Session
Date: 2020-03-02
