Sri Lanka, Oct. 23 -- The National Audit Office observed that the Department of National Museums spent over 4.2 million rupees between 2022 and 2024 to print tickets in large quantities, from 500 to 2,000 books. This bulk printing disregarded the average annual demand of other museums. The National Audit Office deemed the expense 'uneconomical'.

According to the audit report, the Department spent 1,698,148 rupees to print 100 ticket books in 2022 and 2,576,061 rupees to print 3,500 ticket books in 2023. This brings the total printing cost over the two years to 4,274,259 rupees.

The accounting officer explained that the bulk printing was a proactive measure taken in anticipation of a rise in visitor numbers following the revival of the t...