afp,  Tue Jan 16 13:49:41 EST 2007

    COLOMBO (AFP) - Kick-backs and crooked deals cost Sri Lanka over a billion dollars last year amounting to about a fifth of tax revenue, the country's top official whistle-blower told AFP in an interview. The head of the parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises, or COPE, told AFP corruption and fraud runs deep in the main foreign investment promotion body and a state-agency involved in privatisation.
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- The Academic

[quote="The Academic"]afp,  Tue Jan 16 13:49:41 EST 2007

There you go.... democratic republic socialist elected Sri Enron ...


When you here UNP ministers cross over and join the government, you know what they are after.

I had this feeling that this would come out.  This is great news for Sri Lankan people.  I was told that most of the time, the contracts the government accept have the commission mentioned up front and the money directly goes to officials.  This type of activities are unethical and not in use in developed nation.

Mahinda Chintanaya has to realize that we can make money by closing loop holes too.


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.... inspire me

A lot of big private sector organizations now say under Mahinda Chintanaya, the players are very closely connected to the top man.  A certain Mister Ten Percent apparently has to be approached for every contract or even to get noticed under Mahinda Chintanaya. It was not so with Ranil or CBK to that extent. They had their cronies but not so brazenly.  Look at "Mihin Air"  So much for a southern Sinhalaya being different from Feudal Ranil and Feudal CBK.  They had their own cronies and so does MR and apparently they do it so brazenly and openly now and everyone says a certain family will rule for 12 years to fatten their coffers. LEts h ope that is not true and MR actually cracks down on it.  I am not opposed to commissions if the business they bring in makes a difference. Same way it will be futile to tell Military men not to make money as long as they buy the correct equipment and not buy obsolete Cannons like Daya S allegedly did or buy bombs that dont explode and aid the enemy. Most western organizations budget at least 10pct as the "cost of doing business in the third world" and commissions are the norm.  The difference is to get the commissions but will they at least get the job done or in the case of the army and airforce and navy will they procure the correct weapons while they send their families abroad? But time will tell.  In the meantime the Gravy Train now runs for a different set of cronies.

Here is some interesting quotes from one of the best independent journalists in SL.  I refer to Gamini Weerakoon who now works at S.Leader after leaving Island.  His essay sums up the absurdity of this new personality cult MR is creating for himself out of some inferiority complex or out of fear or some complex for sure.  As they say "Murung Aththey thiyala" This Janaadipathithuma is also being kept on that now and we are nothing other than a pathetic third world Zaire like nation now.

Quote:

Bets on Mervyn

The other day, two members, Win-or-Place Perera and Do-or-Die Silva were having a raging argument. The first runner up had to be Mervyn, Do-or-Die was saying. Look at the man, gatecrashing into clubs and bouncing out the bouncers. Routing out international peace marchers known from Sierra Leone to London at the Vihara Maha Devi Park, crashing into editorial offices and threatening editors, a doughty defender of Chandrika and now Mahinda's, a latter day giant  four foot  something like giants  of Dutugemunu, creator of the 21st Century cardboard Dutugemunus at Maradana junction and many more attributes. What a man! He has to be the personality of the year, next to Mahinda, of course

Quote:

Look at "Mihin Air"

This is an absolute scandal. It would actually be best if the 500 million rupees of public funds simply disappear into the pockets of the administrators, since if they try to implement it they will lose billions more of Lankan workers money (they are plundering ERPF and the money the migrants pay to fund it), as well as increasing the losses of Sri Lankan Airlines.

The only question is whether it is breathtaking corruption on Mahinda's behalf or breathtaking gullibility.

You members.......do not you read the Daily News?

Almost everyday I read that this govt is fighting against corruption and Bribery Commision is in full action just like in '70s.

Already more than 15 school principals (for taking 15000 to 40000 Rs), some police constables etc are arrested on bribery charges.


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Peace for Sri Lanka

Velusumana:  Please call us back in Colombo when some bigwig Military or Political guy gets put in jail and not the poor Principals and Cops who are just following their leaders.  Nothing gets done without a "baksheesh" in SL now.  From every corner.  I had to put a tip to a cop on Kandy Road when the rental car was stopped for their kappung and the driver of this rental car had to plead with me for some money. Why we we stopped? Near Wewaldeniya on ther Kandy Road where there is a curve when the car crossed over the double white lines which meant do not pass; The two cops were working in tandem with the Sergeant stopping and the PC doing the collection with the license.  I gave the driver 1000 rupees so he will not have to suffer and come back to the Dedigama police station to get his drivers license and lose a working day. I would not do it if it were me, but the driver pleaded with me.  

No wonder the Tigers have their "" in Colombo.  Now we are hearing that they have bribed quite a number of militarymen.  They need to be shot for treason.

AS FOR MIHIN AIR, it is Mahinda's fragile ego to name an Airline after himself and use EPF funds.. Amazing how thick skinned they are. They all feel the nation OWES them for becoming leaders.  Time will tell. Deiyo danithi.

Yes, RogerThis........I fully agree.........in fact my previous comment was a sarcastic remark.

The corruption can be stopped only when the President sets an example by himself and then take action against sevreal cabinet ministers, secretaries, defence officials etc ....and send them to jail (not as high commissioners to foreign countries).

Only then all the senior officials will be strict on their juniors when it comes to corrupt practices.

On that day your SI on Kandy Road will immediately arrest the 2 cops.


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Peace for Sri Lanka

Any ciitizen should be able to question Government information.  It should be available. Media should play a major role in supporting public in exposing bribery and corruption. This forum also can be the major eye opener, a valuable supporter of common man and eradicating Bribery and Corruption.  First of all major affairs should be free of politics. Nation without politicos will be a paradise soon.

Well Done Australia, http://www.foi.vic.gov.au

The bribery & curruption in SL is not a news but a fact only. I dubt about millions, but will goes beyond billions.

It's known fact all this started after JRJ's way of life where he gave the free hand few big wig ministers and their henchmen to mint money. Missing ship of port and missing floor of Hilton are few examples.

This was worsen with the electoral system. From the minos of local government to big wig parliment, the PR system of election is the killer. If the candidate dosnt have money, no votes and he will be out of the place. Basically if you spend 100, you should earn back above 100. For a fact, even on LG polls, some candidates spends millions on publicity.

So the Question is if that person has that much of money why waste? If he spend that much, there should be a return? if some body else is spending for him (most cases) then, both the sponser and the legislatur has to benift.

Can any body define a method to recover the money Without bribe and kick backs as no body can live on the allocated saleries?

According to SLH-Saviour's comment above the main reason for corruption seems to be the large sums of money spent by politicians for elections and later they want to recover through corrupt practices.
But I think there are many people who rob millions but they did not spend any (or very little) for election campaigns. One person who has 10million pounds to buy a palace in London spent very little for election. Another person who bought several luxary houses in Australia was just a Govt official, did not spent any money for elections.

Anywy if the money spent on election campains is a reason for this problem, well it can be stopped/minimised.

a) Ban all election meetings, banners, posters, house to house campaigning etc.

b) Let each party give their election message to public only through TV and News Papers (say half hour of TV time per week, one news paper supplement per month) at cost subsided by Govt.

c) All manaapa candidates from a party/district can print one booklet (at Govt cost) giving each one of their qualification, what had been done in the past, what will be done if elected etc, in a standard format. The booklet can be given to each household in the district.

This will reduce heavy spending on elections by individual candidates.


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Peace for Sri Lanka

Stop the war, privatise non profitable corporations you will fix most of country problems, corruptions, ills.
Before healing wounds you have to stop the bleeding first.

Negombo wrote:

Stop the war, privatise non profitable corporations you will fix most of country problems, corruptions, ills.
Before healing wounds you have to stop the bleeding first.

This sounds like a typical NGO slogan


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.... inspire me

hardX wrote:

This sounds like a typical NGO slogan

Sounds like a sahodaraya  

hitheshi wrote:

Any ciitizen should be able to question Government information.  It should be available. Media should play a major role in supporting public in exposing bribery and corruption. This forum also can be the major eye opener, a valuable supporter of common man and eradicating Bribery and Corruption.  First of all major affairs should be free of politics. Nation without politicos will be a paradise soon.
...

Hi, nice to join this forum. though it looks like everyone likes to shout at the top of their voices and heyho to the others. So I'll join the fun.

I think our problem is that our civil society is not strong. In most countries ppl can interview/question poltikkos before elections on their policies/ideas. In sri lanka, poltikkos rarely have any policies/ideas, at least at the lower levels, so there might be no point in interviewing them. We should start at grassroots level to make non-politic individuals a force to be reckoned with. The educated must take responsibility and leadership.


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