Corruption is Rife in Several Sectors Dr. Harsha de Silva

8/10/2019 Corruption is Rife in Several Sectors Dr. Harsha de Silva

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Corruption is rife in several sectors: Dr. Harsha

de Silva

- January 2, 2015

Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa is carrying out projects initiated by

Ranil ickre!esing"e in 200#, $nited %ational &arty &arlia!entarian Dr'

(ars"a de Sil)astressed'

*"at t"e Defence Secretary is doing is taking ad "oc projects fro! t"e

Singaporean plan t"at Ranil ickre!esing"e ca!e up +it" in 200# and

i!ple!enting it' "ey are just pa)ing it +it" red bricks and saying +e did

it, asserted de Sil)a'

(e also spoke about i!!ediate !easures needed to be taken to resurrect

t"e country and re)i)e its econo!y under a ne+ ad!inistration'

.ollo+ing are e/cerpts fro! t"e inter)ie+

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$%& & Dr' (ars"a de Sil)a -January 2, 2015

e are a fe+ days a+ay fro! t"e presidential election' (o+ +ould you

describet"e current situation3

4e "a)ent been t"is opti!istic about an outrig"t )ictory since 2001' e

are absolutely con6dent t"at +e +ill carry t"is +it" a signi6cant !ajority'

7ur poll predictions,conducted scienti6cally by )arious acade!ics and

organisations, all indicate a ait"ripala Sirisena +in'

8n t"e "istory of Sri 9anka +e "a)e ne)er seen t"is !any

defections fro! a ruling party coalition' it" .ai:er

ustap"as crosso)er +e "a)e 25 parlia!entarians'8f +e look

at t"e ne/t le)el ; pro)incial councils, prades"iya sab"a

!e!bers and !unicipal councillors ; its a !assi)e e/odus' 8f

you look at t"is +it"out any political colour, it is ob)ious t"at

t"e present &resident +ill not be able to !ake it' "is is going to be t"e 6rst election +"ere t"e people +ill )ote

on policies' "e )oter is no+ t"inkingabout +"at is good for

t"is nation and +"at is good for generations to co!e'

a"inda Rajapaksa is trying to scare t"e people by clai!ing

t"at "e is t"e only person +"o can protect t"is country' 8f t"is

is t"e case t"en t"is country +ill "a)e to go on +it" "i!

fore)er' <ut people are not going to buy t"at argu!ent'

7urs is going to be t"e !ost stable Go)ern!ent e)er' %e)er "a)e +e "adt+o !ajor parties co!ing toget"er to for! a Go)ern!ent' "is is a national

unity go)ern!ent' &eople are no+ con)inced t"at +e can +ork toget"er in

t"e !ediu!-ter!'

inister %i!al Siripala de Sil)a "as said t"at a national unity go)ern!ent

+ill not be for!ed3

4 Soon after t"e = January election t"ere +ill be !assi)e defections fro!

t"e a"inda Rajapaksa ca!p' 4lready t"ey are +ay belo+ t"eir t+o-t"irds!ajority' 7nce t"ey lose t"e presidency no one +ill to be in t"at ca!p'

atc" +"at is going to "appen'

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ait"ripala Sirisenas !anifesto says t"at t"e ne+

Go)ern!ent +ill present an interi! budget' Does t"at

!ean t"at if "e is elected "e +ill not i!ple!ent t"e

2015 <udget presented by &resident Rajapaksa3

4 "e Rajapaksa ad!inistration cannot i!ple!ent

t"at budget' "ey are in serious trouble' "e 201>

<udget is not going to be !et at all' e +ill

co!!ission an independent audit of t"e reasury

i!!ediately' 8 "ope it +ill not be like +"at "appened

in Greece'

9et !e gi)e you one e/a!ple' Go)ernor %i)ard

?abraal said t"at t"e e/ternal debt 6gure is #0@ of

t"e GD&' "at is co!pletely +rong and DeputyGo)ernor '4'ije+ardena said it is A0@ of t"e GD&'

8 totally agree +it" ije+ardena' e "a)e argued and

Buestioned t"is in &arlia!ent' "e budget de6cit

nu!bers are going to be i!possiblebecause t"e

re)enue nu!bers are +rong, e/penditure nu!bers

are +rongC debt "as been s"ifted fro! a consolidated

account and "idden in )arious institutions and

corporations'7nce an audit is done re)enue gro+t" for January to

Septe!ber 2015 is only 5'A@ o)er January to

Septe!ber 201#' 4ccording to t"e <udget, re)enue

gro+t" for t"e entire year is 21'5@ o)er 201#' "ey

are e/pecting 21'5@ re)enue gro+t" o)er t"e last full

year but for t"e nine !ont"s t"e 6gure is only 5'A@'

"ey +ill fall +ay s"ort' 4ll t"ese nu!bers are not

going to be true'(onestly, 8 a! ner)ous' 4t no ti!e in t"e past "a)e

+e "ad ocials +"o)e been so politicised, bot" at

t"e ?entral <ank and at t"e .inance inistry, t"at

t"ey portray a co!pletely diEerent picture'

e "a)e a fair sense of +"at is actually "appening'

"en t"e <udget +as debated, 8 told t"e! not to

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s"ift debt fro! t"e reasury outside to )arious corporations' 8 said t"is

before t"ey did it' (o+e)er, +e +ill "a)e to reallocate t"ese t"ings and

gat"er accurate details t"at +e dont "a)e' e need to assess t"e actual

situation'

7nly after a proper audit is conducted +ill +e be able to tell t"e people

+"at t"e real situation is' "en +e +ill be able to tell t"e country, t"e +orld,

t"e 8. and ot"ers +"at t"e true situation is' e "a)e to start fro! t"ere'

"at "as been s"o+n to t"e country and t"e outside +orld is not t"e true

situation'

(o+ prepared are you to "andle t"is situation and rectify t"ings3 .ro!

+"ere +ill you 6nd t"e funds3

4 7)erall, our plan +ill be to !aintain !acro )ariables at reasonable le)els'

e +ant to "a)e lo+ inFation, lo+ interest rates and stable e/c"ange rates'

"ate)er +e do, +e +ill not let t"at i!pact interest rates, inFation and

e/c"ange rates' e "a)e to !aintain t"e stability of t"ese t"ree )ariables'

e "a)e to co!e up +it" an inno)ati)e !ec"anis! to treat t"e proble!'

4!al u!arage is a professor specialising in transportation' (e "as been in

t"is 6eld for decades' 4ccording to "i!, in 201>, corruption in road projects

+as Rs' 200 billion' Rs' 200 billion in road projects only'e "a)e to take

note of t"is situation'

8f +e look at e/penditure for education it is only Rs' >H billion for 2015,

"ig"er education Rs' >1 billion and "ealt" Rs' 100 billion' 8f you add all

t"ree of t"ese !inistries it is still less t"an Rs' 200 billion' "is is

uni!aginable corruption' Just i!agine if +e sa)ed t"at a!ount, +e could

double t"e Iducation inistry, (ig"er Iducation inistry and (ealt"

inistry allocation' "ese projects could "a)e been co!pleted for less t"an

"alf t"e price'

"e 7pposition 9eader "as said t"at under t"e ne+ Go)ern!ent "e +illcancel t"e ?olo!bo &ort ?ity project' 8s t"at t"e stand of t"e $%& as +ell3

4 "at is true' e stand by t"at' 8 dont t"ink +e need to take on projects

t"at are detri!ental to us' "is Buestion +as raised by s!all- and !ediu!-

scale entrepreneurs in t"e tourist industry' "ey said t"at due to t"e

?olo!bo &ort ?ity project, t"e coastline fro! (ikkadu+a to alpitiya +ill get

aEected and if t"at "appened all s!all and !ediu! projects +ould "a)e to



be closed do+n'

4s a result !illions of jobs +ill be lost' "ese entrepreneurs asked t"e

7pposition 9eadersresponse'8t is in t"at conte/t t"at t"e ans+er +as gi)en'

<ut t"en r' ickre!esing"e clari6ed "is ans+er at t"e pri)ate sector

business !eeting' (e said +e "a)e to e)aluate t"ings and see +"at t"e

en)iron!ental assess!ent isand +"at t"e econo!ic i!pact is' 8f t"ings are

really negati)e t"en +e +ill "a)e to restructure t"is' "at +as r'

ickre!esing"es response' 8f it generates 1000 jobs but loses a !illion

jobs +"ats t"e point3 "is is not about trying to take re)enge against

anybody'

ill t"e de)elop!ent projects of t"is Go)ern!ent be continued under a

ne+ ad!inistration3

4 "ese de)elop!ent projects +ill certainly continue' e "a)e t"e estern

&ro)ince etropolitan ega ?ity project' "at Defence Secretary Gotabaya

Rajapaksa does is take ad "oc projects fro! t"e Singaporean plan t"at Ranil

ickre!esing"e ca!e up +it" in 200# and i!ple!ent t"e!'

"e Defence Secretary is not doing t"e +"ole project' (e is just taking

t"ings fro! "ere and t"ere and doing it' "e estern &ro)ince etropolis

&lan co)ers t"ree t"ick books' "e dra+ings are done' "e transport plans

are done' 8t is t"e $%& +"ic" built SriJaya+ardenepura otte' "ey are just

pa)ing it +it" red bricks and saying +e did it' "o took t"e &arlia!ent

t"ere3 "o took Set"siripaya t"ere3 "o created t"at e/tension of t"e

city3

I)en +it" t"e &orts ?ity project, Ranil ickre!esing"e said t"at if +e run

out of all a)ailable land and if t"ere +as a reBuire!ent per"aps so!e areas

could be reclai!ed' "e issue is before a)ailable land is fully utilised +e are

reclai!ing' e dont kno+ +"at t"e purpose is'"ere is enoug" land' "ere

are acres of land +"ic" can be utilised before reclai!ing t"e sea'

"e prioritisation is co!pletely +rong' "e De"i+ala and %ugegodao)er"ead bridges ca!e after nearly 100 years' <ut in (a!bantota, e)en

before t"ey 6/ed trac lig"ts t"ey "a)e constructed o)er"ead bridges'

<ut t"eir argu!ent is t"at due to t"e sout"ern e/tension of t"e port, t"e

land +ill naturally be reclai!ed o)er ti!e'

4e "a)e seen t"ose reports' "at a!ount is )ery s!all and certainly not



5=0 acres' Soil and sand +ill get deposited' "at is a natural scenario' <ut

t"is is not' "ey are building roads into t"e ocean'

<ut !ost projects "a)e already been initiated and are at t"e

i!ple!entation le)el' (o+ can you stop t"e!3

4 "ese projects +ere signed by falsifying docu!ents and 6gures'

?ontinuing t"ese projects +ould be a cri!e' 8f bribes +ere gi)en to bu!p

up t"e cost by 150@ t"en +e "a)e t"e rig"t to take action against people

+"o fraudulently increased t"e ta/payerse/pense for t"ese t"ings'

8 a! not talking about odious loans' Se)eral countries "a)e resorted to

international arbitration on odious loansand "a)e eit"er stopped or

negotiated because t"ose loans +ere not gi)en for t"e bene6t of t"e

people' "ey +ere gi)en for t+o or t"ree people in corrupt regi!es to get

ric"'

"e total e/pense of ait"ripala Sirisenas progra! is bet+een Rs' #00->00

billion and t"at includes t"e Rs' 50 billion already allocated fro! t"e Rs' 150

billion needed to increase public ser)ant salaries' 8f a"inda Rajapaksa can

put Rs' 50 billion already for ne/t year +e can t"ro+ t"e Rs' H0 billion' 8t is

not so!et"ing uni!aginable'

(o+ can you assure t"at t"ere +ill be no corruption under a ne+

Go)ern!ent3 ou +ill be +orking +it" al!ost t"e sa!e set of people t"at

ran t"e Rajapaksa ad!inistration3

4 "at is t"e !ost i!portant Buestion' Rogues dont "a)e a colourC t"ere

are green rogues, t"ere are blue rogues and t"ere +ill also be orange

rogues' "is is t"e real issue' (o+ +ill +e stop t"is3 "ere are t+o

approac"es'

7ne is by pro)iding citi:ens +it" t"e rig"t to infor!ation' "e ot"er one is

t"at t"e 6rst !inister +"o is caug"t in corruption +ill be dealt +it" by t"e

la+' "e signal +ill be sent out t"at no !atter "o+ po+erful anyone is, ift"ey are caug"t co!!itting a corrupt act t"ey +ill be dealt +it" by t"e la+'

7nce t"ose t+o t"ings fall into place in t"e ne+ era of infor!ationC it +ill be

a self-cleaning process'

%o politician can gi)e a guarantee t"at our guys +ill not rob' (o+ can 8 say

t"at3 (o+ do 8 kno+3 4t an o)erall le)el, discretion !ust be reduced'

?urrently t"ere is so !uc" discretion' Rules !ust be applied'



ou "a)e been criticising corrupt ocials at t"e reasury and t"e ?entral

<ank' 8f elected "o+ +ill your Go)ern!ent deal +it" suc" ocials3

4 e dont +ant to be )indicti)e +it" anyone' 7nly a year ago +e "ad a

senior ocial at t"e Depart!ent of ?ensus and Statistics +"o publicly said

"e +as forced to c"ange t"e GD& 6gure' "is case is no+ in courts because

"e +as sacked'

e are not )indicti)e people' e +ill "a)e to deal +it" it according to t"e

e/isting rules and regulations t"e ocials are bound by' 8f +e take t"e I&., 8

kno+ t"at +e are yet to 6nis" t"e 2010 e/a!ination of t"e I&. in t"e &ublic

4ccounts ?o!!ittee because e)ery date +e get is cancelled or postponed'

I)en c"ecks and balances in &arlia!ent are not "appening' I)en t"e ?7&I

and &ublic 4ccounts ?o!!ittee are "eaded by go)ern!ent !inisters' 8t is

totally unde!ocratic'

%e/t ti!e no !inister +ill "ead t"e t+o !ain co!!ittees t"at look into t"e

acti)ities of t"e Go)ern!ent' "ere +e can take legal action +e +ill do so'

"o aut"orised t"e purc"ase of Grain Ile)ators3 (o+ +as t"at decision

!ade3 "o c"anged t"e decision to purc"ase stocks of co!panies t"at

!ade no !oney3"ese are co!ple/ !atters t"at "a)e to be dealt+it"

legally'

Documents

Corruption is Rife in Several Sectors Dr. Harsha de Silva