State machinery runs without cog wheels

Sri Lanka’s state- run institutions and statutory boards coming under 12 ministries are functioning without heads or board of directors including Chairmen/ Chairpersons due to the delay in ratifying the names proposed by relevant ministers to the President.

A Presidential Committee headed by senior presidential advisor W. J. S. Karunaratne has been entrusted with the task of considering qualifications and making recommendations for the appointment of Chairmen and Boards o f Directors of State Owned Enterprises ( SOE) proposed by the ministers. All heads of state institutions were deemed to have vacated their posts owing to the October 26 political crisis.

This committee was appointed with the intention of halting the practice of appointing unqualified and unsuitable persons with high political connections as heads of SOEs in the past.

After the clearance given by the committee, President Maithripala Sirisena has to ratify the names and appoint suitable persons.

Heads of several state institutions coming under 12 ministries including the Fisheries Department, NARA, the Employees Trust Fund Board, the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, the Land Reclamation and Development Corporation are still to be appointed by the President, a senior government official disclosed.

However some of the previously appointed heads of institutions are continuing the day to day functions till the appointment of the board of directors and chairpersons, he said.

Without a chairman and board of directors there would be no room for implementation of any public policy or a directive issued by the President, high level government sources said adding that under the present circumstances no one can prevent a breakdown in SOEs.

Meanwhile the appointment of a new committee is another violation of the standard procedure; a legal expert said pointing out that the minister is considered the appointing authority of heads of state institutions coming under each ministry in accordance with the Constitution.

Even the Establishment Code provides for the channels of communication of government policy from the cabinet of ministers, to the secretaries and through them to the heads of department.

Issuing a circular to all ministry secretaries, President’s Secretary Udaya Seneviratne informed that all appointments should be first cleared from his office.