Anti-Corruption Bill on, not off: Bandula

By Charumini  de Silva

Cabinet Co-Spokesman and Minister Bandula Gunawardena yesterday assured that plans to introduce a new anti-corruption bill are afoot and not off.

Responding to queries at the post-Cabinet-meeting media briefing yesterday he said the relevant bill will be presented to the Parliament soon.

“We have discussed the proposed anti-corruption bill in the Cabinet earlier and it is being drafted. Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reform Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe will present for Parliament approval in the coming days,” Gunawardena added.

On 8 February, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said the Anti-Corruption Bill will be introduced and the Government is taking steps to include the ‘Stolen Assets Recovery Initiative (StAR)’ in this Bill, together with the World Bank and the United Nations.

As per the Cabinet Spokesman the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged Sri Lanka to reduce corruption and vulnerabilities by improving fiscal transparency and public financial management, introducing a stronger anti-corruption legal framework and conducting in-depth governance diagnostic, whilst, in turn, the agency will provide extended fund facility of $ 2.9 billion.

“There is no argument that corruption should be combated,” Gunawardena said.

On Tuesday IMF announced that its Executive Board on 20 March will consider the approval of the Staff Level Agreement reached with the Sri Lankan Government in September last year for a $ 2.9 billion four-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program.