North Central Provincial Council loses Rs.12Mn in advertisement bid

• Amount paid in advance, not recovered yet after eight years

By Dayaratne Embogama
The North Central Provincial Council has paid a private-sector advertisement producer Rs. 12 million in 2016 to produce a documentary video film to promote tourism in the province, but the project has not been fulfilled.    

The report of the Government Audit Department has exposed this wasteful expenditure in the Provincial Council and queried the failure to take legal action to recover it.
The Chief Secretary to the Provincial Council had on March 23, 2016, entered into an agreement with a contractor to produce a brochure with pictures, a documentary video film, and a website with descriptive information to promote tourism for a contract sum of Rs. 15,797,500 and paid an advance of Rs. 12 million.
Although about eight years have elapsed, the contractor has not been able to complete the project and the Provincial Council failed to take legal action against him.
Secretary to the Chief Minister’s Office and Ministry of Tourism Sirimewan Dharmasena said a formal investigation had been initiated to identify the officials responsible for this contract and that legal action would be taken based on its findings.