(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) – Arrangements are in place to launch Sri Lanka’s National Action Plan to eradicate bribery and corruption later this month, the Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) said.
Speaking to Media the Director General said the government realizing the need for a National Action Plan to eradicate bribery and corruption, in October 2017 entrusted the CABOC with the task of formulating a National Action Plan for Combating Bribery and Corruption in Sri Lanka.
The CIABOC along with the Presidential Secretariat and the Ministry of Public Administration brought together all relevant stakeholder institutions to gather and collate the opinions and suggestions of the public in formulating the plan.
As such, 50 consultations have been carried out throughout Sri Lanka which concluded with 4 such meetings being held at the Parliament giving public representatives an opportunity to share their ideas. Furthermore, the endeavor included the input of various sectors including state officials, professionals, civil societies and artiste.
The collation of all these suggestions and recommendations have contributed to the formulation of the National Action Plan for Combating Bribery and Corruption in Sri Lanka, which received Cabinet approval on February 05th.
The approved Action Plan is scheduled to be ceremoniously launched on 18th of March 2019, in Colombo under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena. It is expected to invite 1250 guests for the launch, representing all sectors from across Sri Lanka.
The Action Plan is premised on four strategies for combating bribery and corruption in Sri Lanka. They are namely, Prevention Measures, Value-based Education and Community Engagement, Institutional Strengthening of CIABOC and other Law Enforcement Agencies and Law and Policy Reforms.
Additionally, four Handbooks will be released alongside the Action Plan, exploring decisive factors which would shape the course of combating bribery and corruption in the nation.
The Action Plan as well as the four Handbooks have been translated to Tamil and Sinhalese and in total, 15 publications will be launched.
The Director General of CIABOC said the true ownership of these publications rest with the individuals representing a cross-section of the society, who contributed to this intellectual discourse for a period of one year.
“We aim at creating a new generation instilled with values and virtues, a public sector as well as a private sector of integrity and a law enforcement system which is just and equal to all. Through the collective effort in dispensing their respective responsibilities, we aim at combating bribery and corruption within the course of the next 5 years,” the Director General of CIABOC said.
