Auditor General’s Appointment Delay Paralyzes Oversight, Risks Donor Projects
Sri Lanka’s failure to appoint a permanent Auditor General since April 2025 has led to severe disruptions in national audit operations and parliamentary oversight, raising concerns over governance and donor-funded reforms. Following the retirement of Auditor General Chulantha Wickramaratne, the National Audit Office has functioned under acting arrangements for over nine months, weakening its authority and delaying audit reports.
The Constitutional Council, which met on January 29, 2026, deferred a decision on the appointment despite rejecting multiple presidential nominees. The ongoing deadlock has stalled the work of COPA and COPE, which rely on audit reports to scrutinize public spending.
The delay has also affected oversight of the EUR 9.8 million World Bank and EU-funded Public Financial Management Strengthening Project, risking delays to procurement reforms, financial system modernization, and capacity-building initiatives. Civil society groups warn the vacuum undermines institutional independence amid an IMF-backed recovery program.
