Unique Compelling Description: Sri Lanka’s Bribery Commission faces growing doubts as lawmakers question whether it can function independently without financial autonomy, exposing cracks in the nation’s fight against corruption.
Sri Lanka’s Bribery Commission is facing renewed scrutiny after Dr. Harsha de Silva, Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance, raised serious concerns about its financial management and questioned whether the institution can truly be called independent under its current framework.
Dr. de Silva’s remarks came during a committee session where officials from the Bribery Commission appeared to present budget estimates. He highlighted a pressing issue: “As far as I know, there is a macro-level issue here. The fundamental question is what do we mean by independence. If an institution does not have financial independence, how can it be called independent? Then the issue arises of how to exercise the powers granted and who has the authority to appoint the necessary staff.” His statement underlined the connection between financial autonomy and effective corruption investigations.
Adding to these concerns, the Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, Ranga Dissanayake, revealed that despite plans to establish a dedicated staff for the Commission, the proposal had not been implemented even after nearly two years. This lack of staffing capacity, he admitted, hampers the Commission’s ability to deliver on its mandate.
Supporting Dr. de Silva’s observations, Deputy Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, A.K. Seneviratne, acknowledged before the committee that there was indeed a serious question regarding whether the Commission’s financial management was being carried out independently. His admission confirmed fears that the Commission’s structural weaknesses go beyond staffing and cut deep into its financial governance.
These revelations raise troubling questions about the credibility of Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption framework. Without financial independence and proper staffing, the Bribery Commission risks being perceived as a powerless body, unable to tackle high-level corruption in a meaningful way.
