Parliament’s Committee on Public Finance (COPF) has approved the proposed salary of the Auditor General while urging the government to establish a permanent and independent Salaries and Cadre Commission to determine remuneration for key public offices.
The decision was taken during a COPF meeting chaired by MP Harsha de Silva on August 4, where members reviewed the remuneration attached to the Auditor General’s office.
The proposal was considered under Article 153(2) of the Constitution, which requires the committee’s approval for the Auditor General’s salary.
Committee members agreed that the office carries significant responsibilities in safeguarding public finances and ensuring independent state audits, warranting special consideration when determining remuneration.
The committee also noted that, under Article 170 of the Constitution, the Auditor General is not a public officer and therefore the position’s salary can be determined outside the standard public service salary structure.
Officials informed the committee that the proposed salary had been formulated after reviewing the salaries of previous Auditors General. They also noted that salary determinations for the post were previously handled by the National Salaries and Cadre Commission, which is no longer in operation.
Although the committee approved the proposed salary, members were of the view that the remuneration should be reviewed further to better reflect the responsibilities and independence of the office.
The committee therefore recommended that a permanent and independent Salaries and Cadre Commission be established to oversee salary structures for such constitutional offices in the future. (Newswire)