The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education

¶ 01 Mr. Presiding Member, I thank Hon. Thushari Jayasingha for this motion. Its importance lies in marking our direction through the feedback we receive. This index is a signpost, not an endpoint. No one claims we have reached our goal. The message here is what matters, and I appreciate the House’s attention to it. I will briefly clarify measures we are taking.

¶ 02 Sri Lanka was ranked 121 with a score of 32 in 2024. Advancing 14 places to 107 in 2025 adds positive momentum to our journey towards a rules-based State, free of bribery and corruption.

¶ 03 The CPI reflects expert assessments and business surveys on public sector corruption across 182 countries and territories, drawing on 13 independent external sources including the World Bank, World Economic Forum, private risk and advisory firms and leading academic institutions.

¶ 04 The 2025 CPI notes that globally, corruption has risen and governance has deteriorated. Against that backdrop, Sri Lanka’s improvement is significant. Transparency International observes that many countries have centralized power under the guise of security, weakening transparency and accountability. Our progress can be attributed to the institutional and legislative reforms undertaken recently, and a shift in expert and business perceptions. Notably, the enactment of the Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023, the Proceeds of Crime Act, No. 5 of 2025, and strengthening enforcement have contributed.

¶ 05 Key recent actions by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) include: - Establishing a Special Investigations Unit to fast-track and efficiently handle sensitive matters impacting the national economy, in coordination with the CID where necessary. - Creating a dedicated unit for money laundering investigations under the Anti-Corruption Act; about 12 cases have been filed. - Setting up a dedicated witness protection unit. - Publishing redacted copies of assets and liabilities declarations of senior officials and others required to declare, on the Commission’s website, in line with statutory provisions. - Developing an electronic Assets Declaration system to enable online submissions; groundwork is complete. - Initiating an online system for complaints to the Commission. - Implementing the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan 2025–2029, assigning responsibilities across institutions, monitoring progress and the functioning of internal compliance units to minimize corruption nationally. - Conducting island-wide prevention programmes using limited staff. - In collaboration with UNDP, rolling out a series of anti-corruption awareness programmes targeting over 8,000 local authority members appointed in 2025. - Under an MoU with the University Grants Commission, integrating anti-corruption content into diploma and certificate curricula at universities.

¶ 06 The essence is institutional strengthening, shaping social attitudes, and building human capacity for corruption eradication—embedding anti-corruption as part of our national culture. Despite limited human and physical resources, CIABOC has achieved these outcomes. To further enhance capacity, under section 26(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, the Commission has determined required staff; under section 26(2), this Parliament must approve their remunerations. Following Cabinet approval, we will shortly present these for the House’s approval. That will allow all Members, including the Opposition, to demonstrate commitment by strengthening this process.

¶ 07 Thank you for the time afforded.

¶ 08 It being past 5.30 p.m., THE HON. PRESIDING MEMBER adjourned Parliament without Question put.

¶ 09 Parliament adjourned accordingly at 5.45 p.m. until 9.30 a.m. on Thursday, 19th February, 2026.