INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The first meeting of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) under the chairmanship of MP Rohitha Abeygunawardana convened at the
Dissanayake, Duminda Dissanayake, Eran Wickramaratne, Gamini Waleboda, Prof
Charitha Herath, Dayasiri Jayasekara, S
summon 363 institutions before the committee 102 institutions have not been summoned before the Committee so far.He also made a full
presentation on the objectives of COPE and the functioning of the Committee so far
current performance for the years 2017 and 2018
Accordingly, the Auditor General pointed out that in the entirety of 27 years, the Sri Lanka State Plantation Corporation has made a profit
in only 4 years.It was also disclosed that 7 of the 10 tea factories owned by the Plantation Corporation, which is continuously losing
However, the audit pointed out that the corporation had not taken any action to resume production or lease out the inactive tea
losses was lack of capital
The officials further commented that due to the lack of capital, the failure to use fertilizers and related herbicides at the right time was
also a reason for the losses.However, the COPE pointed out to the officials concerned that the main reason for the losses of the Corporation
was not the lack of capital itself
Accordingly, the Committee presented data on the very high employee cost of the Plantation Corporation and it was disclosed that the
employee cost of the Sri Lanka Plantation Corporation is about 75%.Furthermore, there was a discussion at length in the Committee regarding
the acquisition of the land owned by the Plantation Corporation given on lease basis by third parties
Accordingly, the COPE chairman instructed the officials to promptly implement the necessary legal procedures to recover the illegally
acquired lands.The COPE chairman further instructed officials to immediately re-survey the land available to the Sri Lanka Plantation
Corporation and submit a detailed report on which lands have been given by the Plantation Corporation on lease basis, who are the
institutions and individuals who have given the land, the money contracted for them and the income obtained from the land given on lease
basis.Furthermore, it was disclosed that the Plantation Corporation has to pay 1.5 billion in various payments including Employee Provident
Fund and Employee Trust Fund for the employees of the company
Accordingly, the Chair also instructed the officials to intervene immediately and prepare a program to complete the relevant payments within
the next two months.Additionally, a comprehensive plan for the period 2024-2028 of the plantation corporation was presented to the council
However, the Committee questioned the officials regarding the lack of inclusion in the relevant business plan of the proposals prepared for
the institution to gain profit
Accordingly, the COPE chairman who expressed his regret that other parties have created the compact plan without knowing the needs of his
company, gave instructions to prepare a compact plan within 02 months by including the future program of the company to be implemented
immediately.Furthermore, the chairman expressed its displeasure about the absence of a proper data system regarding the vehicles of the
meeting was attended by State Ministers Janaka Wakkumbura and Indika Anuruddha, and MPs Dayasiri Jayasekara, Shantha Bandara, Sanjeeva
Edirimanna, Hesha Withanage, Prof
Ranjith Bandara, Jagath Kumara Sumithraarachchi, Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, Major Sudarshana Denipitiya, Upul Mahendra Rajapaksha, Auditor
Wickramaratne and other officials.
