Japanese are back
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A source of embarrassment: We should hide our heads in shame! This is after Mizokoshi Hideaki, Ambassador of Japan, the country on which Sri Lanka relies heavily on for financial support and investments, this week chose to decry the corruption in Sri Lanka. This had led to the suspension of 11 Japanese projects including the expansion of the Bandaranaike International Airport and the Light Rail Transport development with Japanese aid.With the advent of the new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, however, the Japanese government on September 26 pledged to restart the 11 stalled projects in
Sri Lanka. This process had begun in July this year under the tenure of the former government, when Japanese authorities expressed interest in resuming these projects. Last month’s Presidential Election is seen speeding up this process.
But what must surely be disturbing to Sri Lankan policymakers is Hideaki’s comments relating to the corrupt culture in Sri Lanka, which President Dissanayake has vowed to overturn, no mean task given its deep entrenchment in Sri Lanka’s bribery-plagued state service.
The Japanese ambassador had been critical of corruption in Sri Lanka, in comments he made during a speech this week titled ‘History of Japan’s development and the message for
Sri Lanka’. Could these remarks be considered an interference in local affairs? Maybe, maybe not since the Japanese government has substantially supported Sri Lanka with grant aid and financial support, and must ensure that this support is for the people and not to line someone’s pockets.
Taking a breather, I walked to the kitchen to fetch my morning’s mug of tea, when I was distracted by the conversation of the trio under the margosa tree. “Elavalu mila adu wela wagey. Indana milath pahala behala ney (There seems to be a drop in vegetable prices and fuel prices have also come down),” said Serapina.
“Mama balaporoththu wenawa may pravanathavaya digatama thiyevi kiyala, mokada jeevana viyadama daraganna bae ney (I hope this trend continues as the cost of living is unbearable),” said Kussi Amma Sera, well aware of the household costs to run it efficiently.
“Aluth nayakayo ithin hema dama mila pahalata danawa. Eth api indala balanna oney ena masey parlimenthu mathivaranaye mokada wenney kiyala (New leaders
always bring down prices. We have to wait and see what happens at next month’s parliamentary elections),” noted Mabel Rasthiyadu.
At that moment, the home phone rang. “I saw some interesting comments on corruption by the Japanese Ambassador,” said the caller, Arthika, my nonsensical economist friend also known as good-for-nothing Somey.
“Well corruption is so steeped in Sri Lanka, it has been difficult to wipe out this scourge which has dogged Sri Lanka’s development,” I said.
“I hope Anura gets a mandate at the parliamentary election too to continue his crusade against corruption,” he said.
“That’s no mean task given that the opposition is ganging up against him and may be able to swing the parliamentary poll,” I said.
There is no gainsaying that corruption is the root of all evils in Sri Lanka and even ingrained at the top of the leadership pyramid. In Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), Sri Lanka was ranked 115 out of 180 countries in 2023, up from 111 in 2022 of the highly corrupt countries. Denmark was the cleanest country ranked number 1 in this index.
Corruption seems to be endemic in South Asia, with popular uprisings emerging against corruption. This has seen governments change in Sri Lanka and a temporary administration set up in Bangladesh in August this year, while in April, the Maldives opposition accused Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, elected in November 2023 of corruption, a charge he has rejected. Earlier this year, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to 14 years, but he steadfastly denied the charges and claimed he has been politically victimised.
In Kussi Amma Sera’s September 1 column, we said: “It is well known that Sri Lanka’s three main revenue earning agencies – the Inland Revenue Department responsible for personal and corporate tax collection; the Customs for duties and import and export taxes; and the Excise Department for the collection of dues from liquor companies – are hotbeds for corruption.”
It was also stated that the authorities had given time to liquor companies to pay their dues amounting to billions of rupees. But this week authorities said that those who don’t pay their earlier dues will get their permits cancelled in 2025, a ruling by the new administration, subscribing to the new President’s comments: “Let the rich get richer and they must pay their taxes but the poor must not get poorer.”
The Japanese projects to be restarted include the Kandy City Water Management Project, Phase II of the Bandaranaike International Airport Development Project, the Terrestrial Television Broadcast Digitization Project, the National Transmission and Distribution Network Development Project, Phase II of the Anuradhapura North Water Supply Project, the Rural Infrastructure Development Project, the Kalu Ganga Water Supply Project and improvements to health and medical services.
Well…..while this is my second column on corruption in a month, I hope the authorities continue with stringent action not only against those who demand bribes but also act against those who offer bribes. Sometimes for the latter category, it is an inevitable choice if, for instance, there is a need to quickly clear a container from the Colombo Port.
Bribery and corruption are ingrained in Sri Lanka society and to remove this scourge would be a formidable task, never-ever undertaken so far in this country!
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