By The Pulseline News Desk
The Government has moved to strengthen Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption framework, with Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya presenting an amended Anti-Corruption Bill to Parliament, proposing changes to address legal, technical and administrative gaps in the existing law.
The amendments are aimed at strengthening the prevention, investigation and prosecution of corruption while improving transparency, accountability and good governance across the public sector, according to the Prime Minister’s Media Division.
The move comes as the Government seeks to improve the effectiveness of the country’s anti-corruption institutions and ensure that the legal framework governing corruption offences keeps pace with practical challenges emerging during implementation.
The proposed amendments seek to address several legal and interpretational issues identified since the implementation of the existing Anti-Corruption Act.
Among these are inconsistencies between the Sinhala and English versions of the legislation, which the Government says need to be resolved to ensure greater clarity and consistency in the application of the law.
The amendments also seek to address practical and technical difficulties encountered during corruption investigations and prosecutions.
Another key area covered by the proposed changes is the administration and functioning of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
The Government says the amendments will strengthen the legal framework required for CIABOC to carry out its functions and improve the efficiency of its operations.
The proposed changes also relate to the submission of declarations of assets and liabilities through the centralised electronic system.
The electronic declaration system is intended to provide a more streamlined mechanism for public officials to submit information on their assets and liabilities, while strengthening transparency and accountability in public administration.
The Government has described the amendments as a measure to improve the practical implementation of the Anti-Corruption Act rather than a complete overhaul of the country’s anti-corruption framework.
The move is significant as Sri Lanka continues efforts to strengthen governance and institutional accountability, particularly following growing public demands for stronger action against corruption and the misuse of public resources.
An effective anti-corruption framework depends not only on the existence of legislation but also on the ability of investigative and prosecutorial authorities to use that legislation efficiently.
The Government therefore argues that addressing weaknesses identified during the implementation of the existing law is necessary to ensure that CIABOC can perform its investigative and enforcement functions more effectively.
The Bill will now proceed through the parliamentary process, where its provisions will come under scrutiny before any amendments are enacted.
With the Government positioning anti-corruption reforms as a key component of its governance agenda, the proposed amendments could become an important test of its commitment to strengthening enforcement mechanisms alongside broader institutional reforms.
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