Sri Lanka’s Bribery Commission is drowning in over 300,000 asset declarations as a severe staff shortage, legal conflicts, and political inaction push the country’s top anti-corruption body into turmoil.
Sri Lanka’s Bribery or Corruption Commission is facing one of its deepest institutional crises as a flood of asset declarations from public officials and parliamentarians overwhelms an under-resourced body struggling with staff shortages and legal conflicts.
According to officials, hundreds of thousands of asset declarations submitted by government officials and members of parliament have been passed on to the Commission, creating an unprecedented workload. More than 300,000 government officials have already filed their declarations, while all members of parliament have also submitted theirs, which are to be verified and uploaded to the Commission’s official website.
However, the Commission, which requires a workforce of 967 employees, is operating with less than half of that number. The lack of manpower has slowed down even basic tasks, such as sharing information with the public. Officials note that this shortage has left the Commission vulnerable, delaying its ability to perform its core anti-corruption duties.
Director General of the Commission, former Justice Ranga Dissanayake, has formally notified both the President and Parliament about the crisis. The issue was recently raised before the Finance Committee of Parliament, chaired by MP Dr. Harsha de Silva, where Dissanayake outlined the scale of the challenge.
He explained that although the Anti-Corruption Act was passed in August 2023, and gazetted by then Minister of Justice Wijayadasa Rajapaksa for implementation from September 15, 2023, the Commission has not yet been restructured as required under the new law. Instead, the previous commissioners continued in their roles, while a partial staff of 31 legal officers and 63 legal assistants, prevention officers, and stenographers were recruited. According to the Act, these officials should have been properly absorbed into the new Commission or offered compensation to resign, but the transition has not taken place.
Dissanayake warned that if the government officers and police officers temporarily serving in the Commission were released as of September 15, only 63 staff members would remain, making it impossible to function. He emphasized that the Act does not require police or government officers to serve within the Bribery Commission, further highlighting the urgent need for a proper cadre.
To address the crisis, the Commission has proposed a cadre of 967 staff members, including district offices, but disagreements persist with the Department of Management Services in the Ministry of Finance. While the Department insists the cadre should be determined under the Management Services Act, the Commission argues that Section 26(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act gives it authority to decide its structure, with remuneration subject to parliamentary approval. Dissanayake confirmed that he has already written to the Speaker outlining the Commission’s expectations.
This institutional deadlock has left the Bribery Commission paralyzed at a time when the public demands transparency and accountability. With political pressure mounting and asset declarations piling up, the inability to resolve staffing and legal conflicts threatens to undermine the fight against corruption in Sri Lanka.
