The COPE Chairman, Prof. Charitha Herath, has informed the Secretaries to the Ministries in writing, that all government institutions should submit their Annual reports to Parliament within the stipulated time period.

Accordingly, the Secretaries to the Ministries have been informed that the Chairmen/Heads of the Institutions coming under the purview of respective Ministries should submit their Annual reports to Parliament within 150 days after the close of the financial year as per the guidelines issued by the Public Enterprises Department of the Ministry of Finance.

This decision has been taken as it had been observed at several COPE meetings that a considerable number of Public Enterprises had not presented their Annual reports within the stipulated time period making the data and information in the Annual reports obsolescent, preventing the Parliament receiving up-to-date data and information for further action.