NGO funds not revealed for a decade - Govt More than Rs. 36 bn received from 2011 to 2013

by Saman Indrajith 

Ganeshan reminds UPFA’s failure to maintain records

The government has not received financial statements from NGOs in respect of funds received from overseas donors for ten years, Parliament was told yesterday.

Minister of National Co-existence, Dialogue and Official Languages, Mano Ganesan, yesterday said the National Secretariat for NGOs hadn’t received the required information.

The Minister was responding to a query raised by UPFA Matara District MP Dallas Alahapperuma.

The former Minister sought details as regards funds received by NGOs since 2000.

Minister Ganeshan said: "Records pertaining to funds received by NGOs since 2000 haven’t been submitted. Only the records from the year 2011 to 2013 are available." 

The NGOs received Rs. 13.9 bn (Rs 13,926,619,942) in 2011, Rs. 11. 4 bn (Rs.11,488,308,761) in 2012 and Rs. 10.8 bn (Rs.10,840,293,929) in 2013.

The Minister said that there were 1,065 NGOs and 381 International Non Governmental Organizations (INGOs) registered in the Sri Lanka as of Jan. 1, 2015.

MP Alahapperuma demanded to know why the records for a ten year period were not unavailable for such large amounts money received. 

How could billions of rupees in financial aid for a decade not be recorded? Who is responsible?" Alahapperuma queried.

Minister Ganesan said, "You all were in power at that time, not us!"

MP Alahapperuma said the issue was not who had been in power but the amount of funds received.