National Audit Act 2018 · As enacted · Part IX · General
55. Interpretation
Official English translation. The Sinhala text prevails. Open the official Sinhala text, official PDF on documents.gov.lk
Official translationFrom Department of Government Printing, unchanged
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—
“any person authorized by the Auditor-General” means any person appointed in writing or whose services are engaged by the Auditor-General by name or office, to discharge the functions assigned to him under this
Act or any rules made thereunder, who are members of the State Audit Service of the National Audit
Office, qualified auditor or any other person having expertise in a required field; and shall discharge such functions until he ceases to hold office;
“auditee entity” includes -
Offices of the Cabinet of Ministers;
all Departments of the Government;
the Presidential Secretariat;
Office of the Secretary to the Prime Minister;
the Judicial Service Commission;
the Constitutional Council;
the Commissions referred to in the Schedule to
Article 41B of the Constitution and the Special
Presidential Commission of Inquiry established under the special Presidential Commissions of
Inquiry (Special Provisions) Act, No. 4 of 1978;
the
Parliamentary
Commissioner for
Administration;
the Office of the Secretary General of Parliament;
Provincial Councils and local authorities;
public corporations and statutory Funds or
Boards;
businesses and other undertakings vested in the
Government by or under any written law;
any company registered or deemed to be registered under the Companies Act, No. 7 of 2007 in which the Government or a public
Corporation or local authority holds fifty per centum or more of the shares of that company;
“Auditing Standards Committee” means the Auditing
Standards Committee established under the provisions of the Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing
Standards Act, No.15 of 1995;
“Accounting Officer” includes, except where other arrangements are made by the Ministry of the Minister assigned the subject of Finance or as provided for in any other written law, Head of each Department who shall be immediately responsible to the Chief
Accounting Officer in the manner specified in the
Financial Regulations;
“Auditor-General” means the Auditor General appointed under Article 153 of the Constitution;
“Concurrent Audit” includes examination of the financial transactions at the time the transaction takes place or examining any parallel transaction;
“Chief Accounting Officer” includes, unless otherwise specifically provided for in any other written law-
the Secretary to a Ministry, appointed to be the Chief Accounting Officer of such Ministry, by the Minister assigned the subject of Finance;
an officer in charge of a department specified in Article 52(4) of the Constitution; or
an officer in charge of any other department or entity, not supervised by a Secretary to a
Ministry as specified in paragraph (a);
“Constitution” means the Constitution of the Democratic
Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka;
“financial institution” includes –
any licensed commercial bank within the meaning of the Banking Act, No 30 of 1988;
any licensed specialized bank within the meaning of the Banking Act, No. 30 of 1988;
any banking institution within the meaning of the Monetary Law Act (Chapter 422);
any registered finance company within the meaning of the Finance Business Act, No. 42 of 2011;
any finance leasing company within the meaning of Finance Leasing Companies Act, No. 56 of 2000;
any money broker within the meaning of the
Money Broking Regulations No.1 of 2013
published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 1796/
21 dated February 8, 2013 issued under the
Monetary Law Act (Chapter 422);
any primary dealer within the meaning of the
Registered Stock and Securities Ordinance
(Chapter 420) and the Local Treasury Bills
Ordinance (Chapter 417);
any insurance company within the meaning of the Regulation of Insurance industry Act, No. 43
of 2000;
any insurance broker and loss adjuster within the meaning of the Regulation of Insurance industry
Act, No. 43 of 2000;
any insurance agent adjuster within the meaning of the Regulation of Insurance industry Act,
No. 43 of 2000;
any stock exchange within the meaning of the
Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka
Act, No. 36 of 1987;
any stock broker or stock dealer within the meaning of the Securities and Exchange
Commission of Sri Lanka Act, No. 36 of 1987;
any managing company to operate a unit trust within the meaning of the Securities and Exchange
Commission of Sri Lanka Act, No. 36 of 1987;
and
any person who carries on business as a market intermediary within the meaning of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka Act,
No. 36 of 1987;
“governing body” means the body entrusted with the administration and management of the affairs of any statutory body or entity or any company registered or deemed to be registered under the Companies Act,
No. 7 of 2007 in which the Government or a public corporation or a local authority holds fifty per centum or more of the shares of that company;
“Head” means the Head of a Department coming under a
Ministry;
“information” shall include any oral or written evidence including data generated by electronic means;
“local authority” means a Municipal Council, Urban
Council or a Pradeshiya Sabha and includes any authority created or established by or under any law to exercise, perform and discharge powers, duties and functions corresponding or similar to the powers, duties and functions exercised, performed or discharged by any such Council or Sabha;
“Non-Audit Staff” means persons other than members of the Sri Lanka Audit Service and the Audit Examiners’
Service serving on the date immediately prior to the date of operation of this Act in the Auditor General’s
Department and persons recruited by the
Commission after the operation of this Act and includes persons attached to the Combined Services
Staff;
“Provincial Council” means a Provincial Council established for a Province by virtue of Article 154A of the Constitution;
“public corporation” means any corporation, board or other body which was or is established by or under any written law other than the Companies Act, No. 7
of 2007, with funds or capital wholly or partly provided by the Government by way of grant, loan or otherwise;
“resources” includes public finance, public property, human, physical or natural resources and debt;
“Sri Lanka Accounting Standards” means the Sri Lanka
Accounting Standards specified under the Sri Lanka
Accounting and Auditing Standards Act, No. 15 of 1995;
“Sri Lanka Public Sector Accounting Standards” means the Sri Lanka Public Sector Accounting Standards issued from time to time by the Ministry of the
Minister assigned the subject of Finance, under section 8 (3) and section 12 of the Finance Act, No.
38 of 1971 and as may be specified under the provisions of the Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing
Standards Act, No. 15 of 1995;
“Sri Lanka State Audit Service” means the Sri Lanka
State Audit Service established under Article 153B (2) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist
Republic of Sri Lanka; and
“transaction” includes any activity connected with a finance business or non-finance business; and in relation to property includes:–
a purchase, sale, loan, charge, mortgage, lien, pledge, transfer, delivery, assignment, subrogation, transmission, gift, donation, creation of a trust, settlement, deposit including the deposit of any article, withdrawal, transfer between assets, extension of credit;
any agency or grant of power of attorney;
any other disposition or dealing of property in whatever form, or whatsoever description or nature, however described, which results in any right, title, interest or privilege, whether present or future, or whether vested or contingent, in the whole or any part of such property being conferred on any person.