COPA committee halts controversial building construction in Kurunegala

The construction of a six-story office building, a joint venture between the North Western Provincial Council and the Kurunegala Municipal Council, has been stalled due to ongoing supervision issues, the COPA committee revealed. This is despite a contractor being selected and an agreement being signed.

It was also disclosed during the committee meeting that a feasibility study report, which is mandatory before constructing such a building, was not obtained.

Furthermore, the COPA committee highlighted as problematic the procurement process chosen, where the contractor was required to both design and build a standard six-story office building, not a specialised structure, in a manner that would significantly increase the cost burden on the Provincial Council.

These issues were discussed when the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA), chaired by Parliamentarian Kabir Hashim, recently convened to examine the Auditor General's reports and the current performance of the North Western Provincial Council for the years 2023 and 2024, summoning the relevant officials.

COPA recommended that the officials be summoned again to review the construction, and that all relevant reports and documents concerning the project's recommendations, procurement, technical, and committee aspects be submitted to the Auditor General within one month.