CIABOC to hire 971 staff, open 23 regional offices under IMF-linked expansion

Saturday, 3 October 2026 00:35 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Director General Ranga Dissanayake

Regional offices targeted before 31 Dec; Rs. 109 m in equipment to be procured under $ 2.5 m Japanese grant through UNDP
About 34,000 late asset declarants identified for penalties and fines credited to Commission’s own fund

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) is recruiting 971 staff and aims to set up 23 regional offices before the end of the year as it expands its operations in line with International Monetary Fund (IMF) commitments and the national anti-corruption action plan, CIABOC Director General Ranga Dissanayake said.

Dissanayake was speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF), chaired by MP Dr. Harsha de Silva, which approved the Commission’s 2027 budget estimates on 29 September, 2026.

To meet the regional office target, existing Government buildings have been inspected through District Secretaries. Some will be renovated for use and the rest obtained on rent, Dissanayake said.

Under a $ 2.5 million grant from the Government of Japan, channelled through the UNDP, CIABOC is procuring Rs. 109 million worth of technical equipment, including computers and photocopiers, for the new offices.

The Commission has also identified nearly 34,000 people required to declare their assets and liabilities under the Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023, for the collection of late fees. The penalties will be credited to the Commission’s fund.

However, Dissanayake warned that a 2024 Treasury circular, which requires prior Finance Ministry approval to lease vehicles, rent regional office buildings and undertake official foreign travel, could hamper the Commission’s work and undermine its independence. Dr. de Silva stressed that CIABOC must receive all the provisions it needs to operate independently, as required by the Act.

The Committee also agreed that the Commission’s future budget estimates should reach the Speaker by 30 May. The 2027 estimates, which the Act requires to go directly to the Speaker and not through the Finance Ministry, did not reach the Committee with the Finance Minister’s observations until September.