OPINION PAGE
STOP CORRUPTION As we watch a nation in the throes of a history making transition where zero tolerance of corruption is in sight, our mission statement – ‘Stop Corruption’ – is seeing the light of day, thanks to a brave and united younger generation backed by the likes of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and its president, scores of celebrities from across the spectrum of entertainment, and people of all ages and walks of life who have braved the extreme hardships to join the peaceful protests in an unprecedented show of strength by the people. It is time therefore, to take stock of what this metamorphosis means and where the torchbearers will come from. What this means is that if the cancer of corruption is treated even at this late stage, Sri Lanka will not only be in a position to service its debt obligations but have money left in the kitty to ensure a steady supply of essentials and save itself the ignominy of running dry – as it has in recent weeks. Past guesstimates of the cost of corruption – or the ‘informal economy,’ as it is known – in countries such as ours suggest that it could be as high as 10 percent of GDP, which means that this daylight robbery could be costing us a whopping US$ 8 billion a year! As for who will lead the charge… well, it has to be all of us – the people. So while we point fingers at other, in particular our politicians, the time has come for some soul-searching; it takes two to tango as we know and the partners in crime include the givers – and they in turn happen to be the people. So let’s stop the rot; let’s not feed the takers anymore – they have enough food for a lifetime!