Despite the Rs.63,357 million loss incurred by SriLankan Airlines during the last five years, the National Carrier has 190 officers who draw a monthly salary of over one million rupees at present, the COPE report reveals.
The committee has called for information on the educational qualifications, age, and the tasks assigned to these officers which have been submitted on September 2017. The report also reveals that the National Carrier has not obtained approval of the Cabinet of Ministers for purchase of eight aircraft as per the Cabinet Memorandum dated 27. 03. 2013.
Furthermore, the report says that the National Carrier had paid Rs.16,924.36 million as compensation for cancelling the financial lease agreements of four of the 8 A-350 aircraft without a proper Cabinet approval procedure.
“When the Committee inquired whether Cabinet approval had been granted for this the SLA Chairman stated that the Cabinet approved this through the Cabinet Paper dated August 15, 2018. However, it has been disclosed that the said Cabinet Paper had been submitted after the said payment had been made.
Also, that payment had not been directly approved through that Cabinet Paper. Only the observations of then Minister of Finance had been given through that Cabinet Paper. Thus the Cabinet Paper had not been signed,” the report states.