Addressing the workshop for committee members in the Parliamentary Complex yesterday, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya assured more power to the committees, including the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) in new Parliament.  "There will be many supervisory committees as the country goes forward. Even standing orders may be changed to find whether public funds are misappropriated", he added.

Deputy speaker Thilanga Sumathipala, Chairman of the Committee on Public Accounts Lasantha Alagiyawanne, Chairman of the committee on Public Enterprises MP Sunil Handunneththi  and the Secretary General of the Parliament Mr. Dhammika Dassanayake.

PAC Chairman and Deputy Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna addressing the workshop said.Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in new Parliament will be convened from January 8,

 Parliament has the responsibility for public finance matters. The committee has a great role to play in the country's public finance. It has the power to probe 874 government institutions. The public too has a right to know how their money has been spent by the government and other institutions.  Therefore we will initiate a programme to provide information on the public finance for the people, Alagiyawanna added.

The Secretary General of the Parliament Mr. Dhammika Dassanayake addressing the occasion stated that  there should be a mechanism to debate accounts in Parliament as well as a follow up on the recommendations by the PAC.