torakitha
12-06-2007, 07:52 PM
SRI LANKAN OF THE YEAR – AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
A PANDORA’S BOX
COPE Chairman Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe describes what is arguably
the greatest challenge facing the nation: eradicating
corruption. Suresh Ginige reports.
Corruption is at the very root of many evils in this country. Making a mockery of our much-vaunted values and 2,500-year history, it remains a deadly, insidious cancer consuming the resources of our lost paradise and robbing the people of a future that is bright, even as it continues to enrich a chosen few. Its dark roots have spread to dictate the modus operandi of political leaders of every hue and persuasion – and some critics allege that their partners in crime are more often than not among the ‘most respected’ business leaders in the land.
The individual who has spearheaded a determined effort to root out this evil is a soft-spoken, mild-mannered, unassuming man. Yet, within a relatively short period of time, COPE Chairman Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has shot to fame and succeeded in alarming some of the most powerful people in the country – thanks to his untiring and fearless efforts to expose corruption in the public sector and at the highest levels of the bureaucracy.
But despite the Pandora’s Box opened by the COPE reports, corruption is high amongst the most serious threats facing the nation.
LMD’s 2007 ‘Sri Lankan Of The Year’ agrees that corruption poses a bigger challenge to the nation’s prosperity than the ethnic conflict. Indeed, he argues that corruption is responsible for the violence that has blighted the country. He says: “If you take the conflict in 1971, what was the reason? There was a feeling that certain sections of society were isolated; they felt that those who were in privileged positions were getting everything. The same thing happened in 1988-89. The people exercise their franchise and elect their rulers; but once they assume power, there is no return to the people – they try to become dictators. This is the main cause of all the conflicts in this country. The ethnic conflict is based on a particular community of people who speak a different language, but the conflict is part of the system.”
LEADERSHIP TO
BLAME
“For many decades, there
has been no will on the part
of any government to stop
corruption. Sometimes,
there is a will, but that is
not sustained because
most of the politicians
are corrupt – what can
the minority do when
the majority is corrupt?”
He explains: “Last year, we allocated Rs. 120 billion for defence; this year, we have allocated Rs. 140 billion – this, in a country where we have an income of Rs. 800 billion. So, even if there is no war, we have to allocate Rs. 70 billion as a bare minimum to maintain the defence forces – which means that the additional cost of the war is Rs. 70 billion. But in my report, I have pointed out that Rs. 150 billion has been lost by way of corruption. This is double what we are allocating [specifically] for the war!”
Institutions that offer essential services to the general public are more vulnerable to corruption, Rajapakshe contends, often leading to egregious abuse. He offers the example of a circular permitting government employees who have been working for a minimum period of years and have been using a government vehicle for a certain length of time to appropriate the vehicle they were using after paying the depreciated value. But high-ranking officials at the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) had other ideas. “Just before their retirement, they bought very valuable vehicles, used them for a few months and retired with these vehicles in their ownership. This was only applicable to departments, but certain individuals were trying to take undue advantage of public funds for this purpose,” he alleges.
BUSINESS ALSO TO
BLAME
“There is definitely a lack
of ethical leadership in
the business community.
There are a few who are
very good, but the vast
majority are corrupt…”
“The problem is that there is no institution to solve this problem. When corruption is reduced in one area, it rears its head in another. In the past year, COPE and PAC have investigated about 100 institutions, but there are some 200 institutions which we have not been investigated and there are some, such as Mahapola, which have not been examined for the past 25 years. I pointed out that the Government has lost Rs. 1.2 billion as a result. The same applies to both the National Lotteries Board and the Land Reform Commission,” he says.
Rajapakshe, who does not pull his punches, describes the Board Of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka as one of the most corrupt state institutions. He elucidates: “For example, grain is imported duty-free under the banner of the BOI, ostensibly for use in animal husbandry – but it is then sold for human consumption. That is why people are suffering from so many diseases today – that is the impact of this type of corruption.”
The National Water Supply & Drainage Board also apparently has the dubious distinction of being among the most corrupt. “There is a lot of corruption in the banking sector – at the two largest state banks, there are outstanding loans amounting to Rs. 1 billion given without collateral or security,” Rajapakshe contends. He also points to the VAT scam, which has cost the state some Rs. 3.5 billion.
And the MP offers another shocking example of corruption: “In 2003, the Sri Lanka Central Transport Boards (SLCTB) in the Sabaragamuwa, Western and Central Provinces were sold to a company that does not have assets worth 100 rupees! I challenged the validity of that agreement in the Supreme Court and the agreement – signed by the Treasury – was subsequently annulled.” The businesspeople in this case can’t return to Sri Lanka, because there are outstanding warrants against them. “If I didn’t get that order, you would not see any SLCTB buses on the road today,” he claims.
Rajapakshe proudly declares that this is the first time there’s been a non-political committee in this country. While conceding that it is embarrassing to have ministers participating in proceedings, he asserts that it was not a barrier to last year’s work. “I can’t talk about PAC; but about COPE, I can proudly say that all these matters were insignificant for us. We always acted completely independently and non-politically, in the best interests of the public. I have always maintained this fact in Parliament. We will never compromise on any matter where public funds are involved. Just because they are our party colleagues or close friends, or because they belong to another political party, we have not treated them any differently. We have only one criterion – no compromise,” he maintains.
One area of progress that Rajapakshe cites is the direction given to many organisations to rectify their accounting systems, as some institutions have not employed qualified auditors or accountants for five to 10 years.
CITIZENRY ALSO TO
BLAME
“Even when a person is
branded as corrupt or
involved in criminal
activities, the people return
that MP to Parliament –
sometimes with the highest
preferential votes in a
district! So, the people
must point the finger
at themselves…”
And Rajapakshe asserts: “There is definitely a lack of ethical leadership in the business community. There are a few who are very good, but the vast majority are corrupt.” He concedes that it may not be possible for non-corrupt corporate citizens to do business in Sri Lanka, pointing out that corruption robs honest businesspeople of a competitive advantage, often compelling them to resort to unethical practices. “That is how a few miscreants corrupt others,” Rajapakshe says.
COPE and PAC, says Rajapakshe, need to be strengthened. “For most reports, I have one or two officers assisting me, but I have to play the roles from peon to chairman,” he discloses. He adds that there is also a lack of sufficient funds: “We have decided to set up a separate secretariat for these two committees, so that we have the infrastructure to function properly.”
DICTATORSHIP
RULES
“The people exercise their
franchise and elect their
rulers; but once they
assume power, there is no
return to the people – they
try to become dictators.
This is the main cause
of all the conflicts in
this country…”
The interviewee is the Chairman of COPE, a Member of
Parliament and a President’s Counsel
http://www.lmd.lk/2007/December/cov1.htm
A PANDORA’S BOX
COPE Chairman Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe describes what is arguably
the greatest challenge facing the nation: eradicating
corruption. Suresh Ginige reports.
Corruption is at the very root of many evils in this country. Making a mockery of our much-vaunted values and 2,500-year history, it remains a deadly, insidious cancer consuming the resources of our lost paradise and robbing the people of a future that is bright, even as it continues to enrich a chosen few. Its dark roots have spread to dictate the modus operandi of political leaders of every hue and persuasion – and some critics allege that their partners in crime are more often than not among the ‘most respected’ business leaders in the land.
The individual who has spearheaded a determined effort to root out this evil is a soft-spoken, mild-mannered, unassuming man. Yet, within a relatively short period of time, COPE Chairman Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has shot to fame and succeeded in alarming some of the most powerful people in the country – thanks to his untiring and fearless efforts to expose corruption in the public sector and at the highest levels of the bureaucracy.
But despite the Pandora’s Box opened by the COPE reports, corruption is high amongst the most serious threats facing the nation.
LMD’s 2007 ‘Sri Lankan Of The Year’ agrees that corruption poses a bigger challenge to the nation’s prosperity than the ethnic conflict. Indeed, he argues that corruption is responsible for the violence that has blighted the country. He says: “If you take the conflict in 1971, what was the reason? There was a feeling that certain sections of society were isolated; they felt that those who were in privileged positions were getting everything. The same thing happened in 1988-89. The people exercise their franchise and elect their rulers; but once they assume power, there is no return to the people – they try to become dictators. This is the main cause of all the conflicts in this country. The ethnic conflict is based on a particular community of people who speak a different language, but the conflict is part of the system.”
LEADERSHIP TO
BLAME
“For many decades, there
has been no will on the part
of any government to stop
corruption. Sometimes,
there is a will, but that is
not sustained because
most of the politicians
are corrupt – what can
the minority do when
the majority is corrupt?”
He explains: “Last year, we allocated Rs. 120 billion for defence; this year, we have allocated Rs. 140 billion – this, in a country where we have an income of Rs. 800 billion. So, even if there is no war, we have to allocate Rs. 70 billion as a bare minimum to maintain the defence forces – which means that the additional cost of the war is Rs. 70 billion. But in my report, I have pointed out that Rs. 150 billion has been lost by way of corruption. This is double what we are allocating [specifically] for the war!”
Institutions that offer essential services to the general public are more vulnerable to corruption, Rajapakshe contends, often leading to egregious abuse. He offers the example of a circular permitting government employees who have been working for a minimum period of years and have been using a government vehicle for a certain length of time to appropriate the vehicle they were using after paying the depreciated value. But high-ranking officials at the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) had other ideas. “Just before their retirement, they bought very valuable vehicles, used them for a few months and retired with these vehicles in their ownership. This was only applicable to departments, but certain individuals were trying to take undue advantage of public funds for this purpose,” he alleges.
BUSINESS ALSO TO
BLAME
“There is definitely a lack
of ethical leadership in
the business community.
There are a few who are
very good, but the vast
majority are corrupt…”
“The problem is that there is no institution to solve this problem. When corruption is reduced in one area, it rears its head in another. In the past year, COPE and PAC have investigated about 100 institutions, but there are some 200 institutions which we have not been investigated and there are some, such as Mahapola, which have not been examined for the past 25 years. I pointed out that the Government has lost Rs. 1.2 billion as a result. The same applies to both the National Lotteries Board and the Land Reform Commission,” he says.
Rajapakshe, who does not pull his punches, describes the Board Of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka as one of the most corrupt state institutions. He elucidates: “For example, grain is imported duty-free under the banner of the BOI, ostensibly for use in animal husbandry – but it is then sold for human consumption. That is why people are suffering from so many diseases today – that is the impact of this type of corruption.”
The National Water Supply & Drainage Board also apparently has the dubious distinction of being among the most corrupt. “There is a lot of corruption in the banking sector – at the two largest state banks, there are outstanding loans amounting to Rs. 1 billion given without collateral or security,” Rajapakshe contends. He also points to the VAT scam, which has cost the state some Rs. 3.5 billion.
And the MP offers another shocking example of corruption: “In 2003, the Sri Lanka Central Transport Boards (SLCTB) in the Sabaragamuwa, Western and Central Provinces were sold to a company that does not have assets worth 100 rupees! I challenged the validity of that agreement in the Supreme Court and the agreement – signed by the Treasury – was subsequently annulled.” The businesspeople in this case can’t return to Sri Lanka, because there are outstanding warrants against them. “If I didn’t get that order, you would not see any SLCTB buses on the road today,” he claims.
Rajapakshe proudly declares that this is the first time there’s been a non-political committee in this country. While conceding that it is embarrassing to have ministers participating in proceedings, he asserts that it was not a barrier to last year’s work. “I can’t talk about PAC; but about COPE, I can proudly say that all these matters were insignificant for us. We always acted completely independently and non-politically, in the best interests of the public. I have always maintained this fact in Parliament. We will never compromise on any matter where public funds are involved. Just because they are our party colleagues or close friends, or because they belong to another political party, we have not treated them any differently. We have only one criterion – no compromise,” he maintains.
One area of progress that Rajapakshe cites is the direction given to many organisations to rectify their accounting systems, as some institutions have not employed qualified auditors or accountants for five to 10 years.
CITIZENRY ALSO TO
BLAME
“Even when a person is
branded as corrupt or
involved in criminal
activities, the people return
that MP to Parliament –
sometimes with the highest
preferential votes in a
district! So, the people
must point the finger
at themselves…”
And Rajapakshe asserts: “There is definitely a lack of ethical leadership in the business community. There are a few who are very good, but the vast majority are corrupt.” He concedes that it may not be possible for non-corrupt corporate citizens to do business in Sri Lanka, pointing out that corruption robs honest businesspeople of a competitive advantage, often compelling them to resort to unethical practices. “That is how a few miscreants corrupt others,” Rajapakshe says.
COPE and PAC, says Rajapakshe, need to be strengthened. “For most reports, I have one or two officers assisting me, but I have to play the roles from peon to chairman,” he discloses. He adds that there is also a lack of sufficient funds: “We have decided to set up a separate secretariat for these two committees, so that we have the infrastructure to function properly.”
DICTATORSHIP
RULES
“The people exercise their
franchise and elect their
rulers; but once they
assume power, there is no
return to the people – they
try to become dictators.
This is the main cause
of all the conflicts in
this country…”
The interviewee is the Chairman of COPE, a Member of
Parliament and a President’s Counsel
http://www.lmd.lk/2007/December/cov1.htm