Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya

I thank Hon. Thushari Jayasingha for this motion. Its importance lies in the feedback it gives us to mark the direction of our journey. This is an indicator—not the destination—and I do not believe the mover suggested that our work is done. There is a message here which she highlighted; I thank her for drawing the House’s attention, and I will clarify the measures we are taking. In 2024 Sri Lanka was ranked 121 on the CPI with a score of 32. Advancing 14 places to 107 adds positive momentum to our journey to make Sri Lanka a clean country free of bribery and corruption. The CPI ranks 182 countries and territories based on expert assessments and business surveys on public sector corruption, drawing on 13 independent external sources including the World Bank, World Economic Forum, private risk and advisory firms, and leading academic institutions. The 2025 CPI observes that, overall, corruption has risen and governance has deteriorated globally. In that global context, Sri Lanka’s progress is notable. It reflects recent legislative and institutional reforms and a shift in perceptions among experts and business stakeholders. Contributing factors include the Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023, and the Proceeds of Crime Act, No. 5 of 2025, as well as steps to strengthen enforcement. Key recent actions by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) include: - Establishing a Special Investigations Unit to fast-track sensitive, high-impact cases affecting the national economy, working in coordination with the CID as necessary. - Creating a dedicated unit for money laundering under the Anti-Corruption Act; about 12 money laundering cases have already been filed. - Establishing a Witness Protection Unit and commencing operations. - Publishing, as per the Act, edited copies of assets and liabilities declarations of senior officials and other declarants on the Commission’s website. - Completing groundwork for an electronic Assets Declaration system to enable online filing by all required declarants. - Initiating an online system for handling complaints to the Commission. - Launching the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan 2025–2029 to assign responsibilities across institutions, monitor progress, oversee internal compliance units and minimize corruption countrywide. - Conducting islandwide corruption prevention programmes with limited staff, including, jointly with UNDP, programmes targeting over 8,000 members of local authorities appointed in 2025. - Under an MoU with the University Grants Commission, integrating anti-corruption content into syllabi of diploma and certificate programmes. What matters is strengthening institutions, socializing anti-corruption norms, and building human capacity—so that anti-corruption becomes part of our national political culture. This progress is not accidental. Under section 26(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, CIABOC has determined its staffing needs for more efficient prosecutions, court work and prevention. Under section 26(2), this Parliament must approve the relevant remuneration scheme. With Cabinet approval, this will be presented to Parliament shortly. I urge all Members to approve it to demonstrate our collective commitment to eradicating corruption in Sri Lanka. I thank the Opposition Members who spoke today and invite them to join and strengthen this process. Thank you for the time granted.