(VIDEO) State-Owned companies challenged COPE authority; COPE Chairman

by Zulfick Farzan 10-03-2021 | 3:03 PM

Colombo (News 1st); Certain government institutions are attempting to disregard parliamentary bodies such as COPE & COPA, which are tasked with probing the management of public funds.

This was revealed during Wednesday's (10) parliamentary session.

COPE Chairman Dr. Charitha Herath told the Parliament there are issues with respect to certain companies registered

under

the companies act

and

a report on these anomalies will be tabled in parliament.

'There have been instances when the authority of COPE was challenged by these companies and institutions,' revealed the COPE Chairman.

Further, the COPE Chairman said there was a constitutional issue with

respect

to the

Norochcholai

Coal Power Plant as following the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, Provincial Environmental Authorities were established and this resulted in issues with regard to national-level decision making on the environment.

Parliamentarian S. M.

Marikkar

said it was also observed that when certain bodies are called to COPE, their opening statement would be 'COPE does not have the authority to question the said institution'.

He said there are some

state-owned

companies that attempt to operate as private companies, using loopholes in the translations of the law.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc5PRWUdsRw&t=1s[/embed]