Lanka electricity company has spent Rs. 400 million in vain.

2025-01-16 98897

An audit conducted by the National Audit Office has confirmed that although the Lanka Electricity (Private) Company Limited had purchased a land in 2001 to construct a building for its head office, it has not used the land for its intended purpose for over 22 years and has spent over Rs. 400 million on a building acquired on a rental basis.

The audit report further states that the Lanka Electricity (Private) Company Limited had purchased a 73.7 perches land at No. 508, Elvitigala Mawatha, Narahenpita in 2001 for a sum of Rs. 53.5 million for the construction of its head office building and had paid Rs. 409.2 million for a rental building without constructing the building until the end of 2023.

This is stated in the audit financial statement related to the audit conducted by the National Audit Office (Private) Limited (Ceylon Electricity The audit report states that in 2014, the Board of Directors of the Lanka Electricity (Private) Company Limited had assigned the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau to prepare the plans and prepare the tender documents for the construction of the relevant building, and in 2015, it was also closed and the relevant task was again assigned to the University of Moratuwa. The Lanka Electricity (Private) Company Limited has stated in its observations regarding the maintenance of its head office by paying a rent of over Rs. 400 million, stating that the construction of the building was delayed due to the economic recession in the country after 2015.

The audit report further states that the executive officers of the Lanka Electricity (Private) Company Limited were paid Rs. 36.4 million in 2023 for annual and medical leave not taken in 2022 and that the fingerprint machine attendance and departure records were not considered in calculating the leave related to these payments. The Audit Secretariat has also pointed out in its report that the executive officers were paid Rs. 8.2 million for annual leave not taken in 2022 and Rs. 28.2 million for medical leave.