NO POLITICAL APPOINTEES IN STATE ENTITIES: COPE
The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) had decided to tell the government to clamp down on political appointments to top managerial positions at Government ventures and will instruct the
During our deliberations we found that a large number of state ventures where political appointees hold managerial positions have incurred heavy losses last year.
cabinet to appoint professionals devoid of political affiliations to state ventures under their purview.
The COPE Chairman, Senior Minister D.E.W. Gunasekara, said yesterday that the 2012 COPE report would carry strict financial and administrative guidelines for state commercial ventures as mismanagement and administrative lapses had caused many of them to incur heavy losses. “During our deliberations we found that a large number of state ventures where political appointees hold managerial positions have incurred heavy losses last year.
This could be because their commitment is not to the welfare of the establishment or its employees but to serve their political masters. Secondly, many of them do not have the managerial or professional skills needed to run a commercial establishment. Therefore, it is imperative that ministers are careful not to appoint unqualified people as chairmen, general managers, director generals or CEOs to state ventures but hire qualified professionals who have the experience to succeed,” Minister Gunasekara said.
Minister Gunasekara said that a majority of state ventures had incurred heavy losses last year and this has had a direct impact on the national economy.