Government makes illicit path to bypass procurement process to distribute ‘election’ goods – Anton Perera, retired Chief Accountant

Anton Perera, the retired chief accountant, says the government has avoided the procurement process to distribute items for the election.
He disclosed this while addressing a press conference of National People’s Power auditors and accountants held at the JVP head office at Pelawatta Pelawatta this morning (23).
Speaking further, the retired Chief Accountant said, “The government is procuring goods to target the election. The President goes to various places and says that the country has been rebuilt with the support of the IMF and that the country will be developed in 2048. However, we have to reveal the destructive moves the President has committed to the procurement process in Sri Lanka. Here, we pay special attention to a Cabinet Memorandum presented by Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Minister of National Policy for Monetary and Economic Stabilization.
The cabinet memorandum provides the opportunity for government agencies to purchase goods and services from the State Trading Corporation on one quotation. The ministerial memorandum presented on May 14 states that ministries and departments have been given the opportunity to directly purchase goods up to 50 million rupees from the State Trading Corporation without following the procurement process. It has also been stated that presenting a recognized bond with a recognized commercial bank for these purchases is unnecessary.
The opportunity to purchase goods worth 50 million rupees at once without tendering has been provided. This shows that this opportunity has been taken to get and distribute goods quickly when the presidential election has been announced. These purchases can be made by discarding even the suppliers registered with the government institutions for supplying everything from stationery to valuable goods. Although the private sector has to submit a bond while supplying to the government, a serious discrepancy arises because such a bond is not required from the State Trading Corporation. State Trading Corporation has to buy the relevant materials from the selected institutions in the open market, and a separate black-market transaction occurs.
A serious issue about the quality of goods occurs as large numbers of photocopiers, digital duplicators, general computers and laptop computers, multimedia projectors, printers, petrol and diesel generators for distribution to religious shrines, radios and televisions, etc. are to be purchased.
The procurement commission’s total disregard for verification is evident in its giving these orders to the State Trading Corporation to purchase these goods. According to the information received, the Ministry of Estate Infrastructure is preparing to take 2000 million rupees worth of goods. These purchases are listed as immediate purchases. We have received a lot of information regarding how these purchases would be carried out.”

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