Pulasthi Hewamanna 

Chairperson – Transparency International Sri Lanka

Q: How can Sri Lanka improve transparency and accountability in state institutions? And in your view, who is responsible for ensuring that we do so?

A: Economic growth is tied to how we’re governed, and transparency and accountability are cornerstones in any form of governance, be it in the private or public sector.

If you map Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index with the economic growth of countries on the list, there are direct correlations with institutional commitments to transparency and accountability, and systems-based approaches to preventing corruption.

Our system fully realised the true impact of decades of corruption in 2022. We can no longer ignore this, and the time has come for state institutions to give meaning to our constitutional values and aspirations, and our sovereign right to live in a society free from corruption.

We must move away from mere tokenism and towards meaningful proactive disclosures. Accountability should require answerability first – i.e. an obligation for institutions to explain their actions. Secrecy is an anathema to this.

Secondly, there’s enforcement: the capacity to impose sanctions on those who have violated public trust.

And thirdly, enablement – whereby citizens must be empowered to raise the alarm without the imposition of laws that can have a chilling effect on their participation.

Real political, civil society and corporate leadership is the need of the hour to bring about this change.

Q: What steps can we take to combat bribery and corruption, and ensure that public resources are used for the benefit of all citizens?

A: A citizen-centric approach is a must. It is our constitutional duty to prevent the misuse and wastage of public resources.

Citizens are already empowered by the Right to Information Act (RIA) to request any information from the government. We must inculcate an approach to question decisions that affect us without taking everything at face value. This would be a step in the right direction, which must be encouraged at a young age.

But this isn’t enough…

If we’re serious about empowering citizens, robust whistleblower protection is an essential step. The garlic scam for example, would never have been investigated if not for a whistleblower at Sathosa.