Chinese Fertilizer: Auditor General recommends to recover losses; prosecute those responsible

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's Auditor General has recommended that legal action be instituted against those responsible for causing a loss to the government by releasing funds for the Chinese Fertilizer shipment with zero supervision and to recover the said losses.

The recommendations were made in a Special Audit Report prepared by the Auditor General on the procurement process adopted in the purchase of 96,000 MT of Organic fertilizers for Sri Lanka.

The report revealed that attempts were made to import to Sri Lanka a fertilizer shipment that was not sterilized, and contained a pathogen.

It added that if this attempt was a success, it would have posed a direct threat to many crops with economic value in the country.

The Auditor General also revealed in his report that he has incurred a loss by not providing the necessary fertilizer for paddy cultivation in the Maha Season of 2021/22.

In his report, the Auditor General also points out that the cabinet proposal for banning chemical fertilizers and using organic fertilizers has been done without any scientific study.

The Auditor General recommends that a case be filed against the concerned supplier to recover compensation.