Dr. Asanga Ranasinghe

Director – Postgraduate Institute of Management

Q: How can Sri Lanka increase governmental institution openness and accountability – and who is responsible for the state we are in?

A: A multipronged strategy with stakeholder responsibility can promote openness and transparency in governmental institutions, and drive accountability.

Among the key measures to drive transparency and accountability are upholding and enhancing right to information (RTI) legislation, which will enable individuals to access government information, promoting public scrutiny and informed decision making.

Another includes setting up independent oversight bodies that will give the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) the resources and ability to investigate charges, and hold officials responsible.

And lastly, commissioning citizens’ monitoring mechanisms – such as properly conducted surveys, responsive hotlines and user-friendly internet platforms – will encourage and provide inputs to the public service.

Ultimately, it is a shared duty where openness and accountability need collaboration. For a functioning democracy, authentic government leadership, a lively media, engaged citizenry and a robust civil society are required.

Q: And how can we fight bribery and corruption – and be able to use public resources for everyone?

A: Sri Lanka can eliminate bribery and corruption, and maximise public resource usage, by following several steps.

Steps can be taken to enhance anti-corruption legislation by reviewing and updating it. This includes closing loopholes, clarifying the definition of a bribery offence, increasing punishments for corruption and protecting whistleblowers.

In addition, attention can be paid to law enforcement capacity building and promoting public procurement transparency, by embedding competitive state contract bidding across all government organisations and state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

The country can also make asset declarations by public officials mandatory.

Furthermore, steps can be taken to maintain public resource efficiency by allocating funds based on clear performance metrics and demonstrable outcomes, ensuring effective use for projects that benefit residents.

Establishing mechanisms for citizens to monitor public expenditure and track resource allocation to prevent abuse is also crucial.

Moreover, steps can be taken to set up an independent audit system to enhance the National Audit Office’s independence and effectiveness in scrutinising governmental finances.

And finally, integrating digital technologies will help to enhance government efficiency and transparency.