{"id":141271,"date":"2015-03-17T18:56:52","date_gmt":"2015-03-17T13:26:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=141271"},"modified":"2015-03-17T18:56:52","modified_gmt":"2015-03-17T13:26:52","slug":"major-changes-in-infrastructure-project-expenditures-can-pose-issues-friday-forum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/major-changes-in-infrastructure-project-expenditures-can-pose-issues-friday-forum\/","title":{"rendered":"Major Changes In infrastructure Project Expenditures Can Pose Issues: Friday Forum"},"content":{"rendered":"

Friday Forum notes with concern that unforeseen major changes into expenditures of infrastructure development projects without any preparatory work in planning and undertaking could pose issues including a large scale waste.<\/p>\n

\"Opposition<\/a>Releasing a statement concerning the sudden decisions that have been made by the government to cut down the expenses of infrastructure development projects substantially and increase the expenditure on health and education, the Friday Forum has pointed out this decision could also result in a failure to meet genuine and urgent needs.<\/p>\n

While pointing out that it\u2019s an essential feature of a democratic society for governments to share with the governed, all information relevant to the government except sensitive information that is kept a confidential due to security concerns, the group also notes that it is vital for the expenditures to be planned, undertaken and reviewed on completion to ensure resources are efficiently used.<\/p>\n

The group has also noted with concern that the recent revisions of expenditure plans by the government demands for such changes to be made equipped with good knowledge concerning the possible consequences resulted through the changes, and have pointed to the decisions that have been made by the incumbent government concerning the Uma Oya scheme and the Colombo Port city.<\/p>\n

The Friday Forum has also stressed on the importance of informing the public concerning all mega projects that have been recently completed, pointing out that the incumbent government should not follow in the footsteps of the previous regime during which, the people were kept dark about the costs and benefits including any ill effects of the projects.
\nFriday Forum considers it vital that the incumbent government publicizes all the details concerning the development projects irrelevant of whether or not they are completed, continuing or being planned.<\/p>\n

We publish below the statement in full;<\/p>\n

Change in government priorities, project review and public information
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Friday Forum welcomes the new opportunities for good governance that dawned with the\u00a0Sirisena\u00a0administration, established in early January this year. An essential feature of a democratic society is that government share with the governed all information relevant to government except that which\u00a0must be kept secret for reasons of security. Certain information pertaining to urgent decisions to be taken by government and affecting the people on a wide front now needs to be given to the public with as little delay as possible.<\/p>\n

This is urgent in view of the\u00a0decision taken by government to cut down substantially expenditure on infra-structure development,\u00a0and to\u00a0increase expenditure on education\u00a0and health.\u00a0Two particular instances have emerged already. The\u00a0Uma\u00a0Oya\u00a0project has been suspended and there is much anxious debate about the Colombo Port City Project. Friday Forum\u2019s concerns cover the entire spectrum of projects that will be affected\u00a0by the decision of government to cut down and to change priorities regarding government expenditure.<\/p>\n

An\u00a0essential feature of good governance is\u00a0that expenditure is planned, undertaken, and reviewed on completion, to ensure that resources are used efficiently. The recent revision of expenditure plans by government demands that when major\u00a0changes are\u00a0made, they\u00a0are made with as good knowledge as possible of\u00a0the consequences. For instance an\u00a0arbitrary decision to cut expenditure on a bridge two thirds built in preference to a bridge for which only land clearing has taken place would lead\u00a0to unnecessary waste\u00a0of\u00a0capital, avoidable with better management. This aspect needs attention\u00a0in respect of\u00a0vast\u00a0projects such as the Uma\u00a0Oya\u00a0scheme, the\u00a0Colombo Port City,\u00a0and large highway and railway projects that had been planned under the previous administration.<\/p>\n

The public also needs\u00a0to be informed about\u00a0all\u00a0mega-projects that have been \u00a0recently\u00a0completed,\u00a0including those in\u00a0and around Hambantota, the construction of expressways\u00a0and railways, the Norochcholai\u00a0power plant,\u00a0\u00a0and the Nelum Pokuna \u00a0theatre\u00a0and\u00a0Nelum\u00a0Tower in Colombo city. The people have\u00a0been kept in the dark by the last administration\u00a0about the costs and benefits,\u00a0including any\u00a0ill effects,\u00a0of these projects.<\/p>\n

Friday Forum considers it vital that the present government put before the public all\u00a0information relevant to these projects, whether completed, on the way or planned.<\/p>\n

There is expertise in\u00a0our universities and other institutions that teach management which is\u00a0adequate to undertake the work involved in monitoring and reviewing such projects.\u00a0Besides, students who collaborate with their teachers in such exercises will find most rewarding work experience otherwise rarely available to them. High quality output will produce case studies useful not only here but all over the world.<\/p>\n

The work of research and analysis, as suggested here, will also need to be established on a regular basis to assist the Parliamentary Oversight Committees proposed to be set up to assist Parliament to fulfil more satisfactorily its responsibilities in matters of finance, entrusted to it in Chapter 17 of the Constitution. Friday Forum emphasises the need for Parliament to set up facilities adequate to advise these Committees with background papers to conduct\u00a0their\u00a0business.\u00a0Ad hoc and casual arrangements as now will nullify the value of these oversight committees<\/p>\n

Substantial changes in government expenditure on education and health pose equally difficult questions. Normally expenditures in a budget are the result of sustained background work\u00a0extending back several months or years in the responsible\u00a0ministries and other institutions. Unforeseen large changes in expenditure, denied the benefit of such preparatory work, pose problems of planning and undertaking expenditure that could\u00a0result on the one hand\u00a0in large scale waste and on the other in failure to meet genuine and urgent needs.<\/p>\n

Friday\u00a0Forum regrets the practice of several previous administrations to withhold information which was\u00a0previously made available in White Papers and more definitively in Sessional Papers.\u00a0One glaring instance is the failure to issue the report\u00a0of the last Taxation Commission chaired by Professor\u00a0W.D.Lakshman. All\u00a0previous such reports were\u00a0issued as Sessional Papers that,\u00a0apart from informing\u00a0the public of government policy,\u00a0were useful to students and scholars engaged in\u00a0research in these disciplines. Communications of this nature with the public will make a distinct contribution to good governance.<\/p>\n

Dr<\/strong>. G.\u00a0Usvatte-aratchi\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Ms.\u00a0Suriya Wickremasinghe<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. G.\u00a0Usvatte-aratchi, Ms.\u00a0Suriya Wickremasinghe, Professor Arjuna Aluwihare, Mr. Priyantha Gamage, Dr. Selvy Thiruchandran, Dr A.C.Visvalingam, D. Wijayanandana,\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. Danesh Casie-Chetty, Mr. Saliya Peiris, Professor Gananath Obeyesekere, Mr. Faiz-ur Rahman, Rev. Dr. Jayasiri Peiris,\u00a0Dr.Upatissa Pethiyagoda, Mr. Pulasthi Hewamanna, Professor Camena Guneratne, Mr. Javid Yusuf, Ms, Damaris Wickremesekera, Professor Gameela Samarasinghe, Professor Savitri Goonesekere, Mr. Suresh de Mel, Dr. Deepika Udagama, Ms.\u00a0Manouri Muttetuwegama,<\/em> Rt. Reverend Duleep de Chickera, Professor Ranjini Obeyesekere, Mr. Chandra Jayaratne.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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