Sri Lanka : Country Financial Accountability Assessment

World Bank

Washington, DC

关键词: FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION;    PUBLIC FINANCE;    LOCAL GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION;    ACCOUNTING & REPORTING;    PERFORMANCE INDICATORS;   

RP-ID  :  27419

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

The framework for public financialaccountability in Sri Lanka is founded in the principles ofgovernance associated with the model inherited from theBritish, widely accepted as appropriate for the country. Theprimary accountability institutions, and organizations forfinancial management, control, audit and legislativescrutiny have, however, not evolved in line with the changesin the more advanced democracies of a similar background.This lapse has reduced the effectiveness of the system ofpublic financial accountability in Sri Lanka, resulting inless than adequate assurance, that public funds are used forthe purposes intended with due consideration to economy andefficiency. Financial accountability at the sub-nationallevel is less well developed than at the center. The reasonsfor this are similar to those concerning the centralGovernment, but more acute and pronounced. Publicenterprises are characterized by excessive staff; weakmanagement; inefficiencies; heavy losses; dependency onbudget transfers; and delayed publication of auditedaccounts, thus, further eroding public financialaccountability. Discussions with stakeholders on reforms,centered around the urgent need to improve public financialaccountability, showing five priority areas of concern: 1)Parliamentary control of the public purse has becomeineffective, which can be restored by strengthening theoversight function provided by the public accounts andpublic enterprises committees; 2) the accountability of theexecutive is too focused on 'spending to budget',rather than on 'managing for results', therefore,introducing, on a progressive basis, a performance basedculture with incentives focused on achievement of outputsand outcomes, and, holding government officialsaccountablefor meeting objectives and performance standards should beconsidered; 3) need for strengthening the public auditfunction; 4) removing obstacles, and re-visiting theEstablishment Code could prod good governance practices;and, 5) addressing greater specificity on financialaccounting, reporting, auditing, and capacity building atsub-national levels.