Executive cannot be both spender and auditor: Eran

Saturday, 2 February 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Says TI index ranks Sri Lanka as a high level of corruption country in defence sector
UNP says defence procurements need to be scrutinised and supervised by Parliament
Says Bribery Comm. should not be under Executive purview as stipulated in 18th Amendment

By Dharisha Bastians

The Executive cannot be both spender and auditor of public finances, UNP National List MP Eran Wickremaratne said yesterday, charging that the 18th Amendment had placed the country’s anti-corruption commission directly under Executive purview, making Sri Lanka’s State sector corruption rankings plummet in worldwide surveys.

Referring to the Transparency International Government Defence Anti Corruption Index released earlier this week, Wickremaratne said that Sri Lanka has been categorised as a ‘high level of corruption’ country in terms of its defence procurements.

“TI has said that there is no transparency in defence procurements. Sri Lanka spends Rs. 280 billion on defence and urban planning, compared against Rs. 9 billion spent on social welfare schemes like Samurdhi. Therefore, these procurements need much more scrutiny and supervision by Parliament,” the UNP legislator told reporters yesterday.

Wickremaratne explained that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was the Defence Minister, but the danger was that the 18th Amendment to the Constitution had also placed the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption under the purview of the President.

“When the Executive is both spender and auditor, it does not augur well for good governance,” he said.

Anti corruption commissions must be under Parliament, he added.

The UNP National List MP charged that the Public Accounts Committee chaired by the present Deputy Minister of Finance had not presented a single report to Parliament in nearly three years.

“Public Finance oversight committees must be not be chaired by Government Ministers,” Wickremaratne charged, “they must be chaired by back-bench MPs.”

He added that while the Committee on Public Enterprises had already submitted one report, no action had been taken on losses highlighted in the State sector due to inefficiency and blatant corruption and nepotism.

“Today the Bribery Commission is only interested in one case – that is the case against the husband of this country’s legal Chief Justice,” Wickremaratne charged.

Also addressing the media briefing, UNP National List MP and Economist Dr. Harsha de Silva said that arbitrary taxation and inconsistency in economic policy were increasing the economic burdens on the people.

He said that although the Government was claiming that floods and inclement weather were driving vegetable prices up, this was simply not true. “There is a problem in the agriculture market with fluctuating prices and that is why the farmer is poor and that is why the consumer can’t afford vegetables. The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade need to find that problem and address it,” Dr. De Silva said.

He added that while on the one hand the Government was imposing arbitrary taxation on the people, certain individuals were evading taxes and costing the State revenue. He highlighted a Customs document in which he claimed a new Rolls Royce had been imported and undervalued in the declaration, costing the State more than Rs. 60 million in unpaid taxes on the vehicle.

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event including Valentine ’s Day. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Flower Bouquets, Clothing, Watches, Lingerie, Gift Sets and Jewellery. Also if you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.