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TISL report sheds light on private sector corruption

Published

1 year ago

2024/12/16

Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) recently unveiled the ‘Corruption Risk Mapping Research: A Study on Sri Lanka’s Private Sector at the BMICH in Colombo.

Shattering the myth that the private sector in the country is generally above board, TISL has presented an in-depth analysis of corruption risks in Sri Lanka’s private sector and possible measures to address them.

The research, compiled by an Independent Researcher, documents and narrates alleged experiences and examples of private sector corruption, possibly for the first time in Sri Lanka, according to TISL.

Text of the TISL statement: “Corruption in Sri Lanka for the most part has been seen as a public sector problem. This research, however, indicates that the private sector often functions as the “supply side” of corruption. The allegations narrated showed a high risk of corruption when dealing with relevant government departments for approvals and licences across all industries. The Report also documents allegations of corruption when bidding for government contracts, particularly in relation to pharmaceuticals and large-scale infrastructure projects.

Allegations of corruption, documented in the report between private sector entities, includes kickbacks, gratifications and favours, fraud, unethical manipulation of procurement processes, conflicts of interest, nepotism and favouritism. Interestingly, the research also revealed allegations of private sector entities engaging in political lobbying and significant market manipulation through the creation of monopolies. The research showed that gender dynamics also affected the nature of corruption. Respondents alleged that women were at a higher risk of being solicited for sexual bribes in exchange for jobs, promotions or even to provide a service.

The Report highlights that while public listed companies are heavily regulated, their unlisted subsidiaries face fewer regulations. This enables the parent company to outsource their corruption to a subsidiary or sub-subsidiary. The Report identifies the lack of a strong regulator, internal controls, and regular financial and social audits as some of the risk factors that lead to private sector corruption. It has also been found that new market entrants often resort to corruption as a means of survival in the absence of a conducive business environment.

The Report proposes the private sector to adopt robust anti-bribery and corruption policies with whistle-blower protection, and to pursue collective action to mitigate corruption. It calls on the Government to establish stronger regulatory bodies, digitalize processes, and enhance procurement practices.

The Report Launch was followed by a Panel Discussion, titled “Beyond Compliance: True Business Integrity in a Box-Ticking World”. Ms. Averil Ludowyke, an Independent Non-Executive Director at several leading private sector organisations, and Ms. Rukshani Wanigasekara, Senior Manager Corporate Legal – Cargills Ceylon, were panellists and the session was moderated by Gowthaman Balachandran, Chief of Party for Transparent and Accountable Governance Project supported by USAID.”

Link to Full Report: https://www.tisrilanka.org/crmr/

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CEYPETCO Fuel prices increased from midnight today (21)

Published

29 mins ago

2026/03/21

Priyan

The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (Ceypetco) has announced a revision of fuel prices, effective from midnight today (21).

Accordingly,

Auto Diesel – Rs. 382 (increased by Rs. 79)

Super Diesel – Rs. 443 (increased by Rs. 90)

Petrol 92 Octane – Rs. 398 (increased by Rs. 81)

Kerosene – Rs. 255. (increased by Rs. 60)

Petrol 95 Octane – Rs. 455 (increased by Rs. 90)

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Advisory for Severe Lightning issued for Galle, Matara, Kaluthara and Rathnapura districts

Published

7 hours ago

2026/03/21

Priyan

Advisory for Severe Lightning Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre Issued at 12.30 p.m. 21 March 2026, valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 21 March 2026

Thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur at some places in the Galle, Matara, Kaluthara and Rathnapura districts after 1.00 p.m.

There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.

ACTION REQUIRED:

The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:

 Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.

 Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.

 Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.

 Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.

 Beware of fallen trees and power lines.

 For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.

News

Sri Lanka says it denied US request to land two aircraft at Mattala airport

Published

12 hours ago

2026/03/21

Priyan

Sri Lanka’s president says his government turned down a request from the United States to land two US combat aircraft at a civilian airport earlier this month.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Sri Lanka’s parliament on Friday that Washington had requested permission for the aircraft to land at Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in southern Sri Lanka from March 4 to 8.

The request was made on February 26, two days before the US and Israel launched their military offensive against Iran.

“They wanted to bring two warplanes armed with eight antiship missiles from a base in Djibouti”, Dissanayake told lawmakers. “We turned down the request to maintain Sri Lanka’s neutrality”, he added to applause.

The US-Israeli war on Iran has sparked widespread concern globally, as Iranian missile and drone attacks across the wider Middle East have sent energy prices soaring and fuelled fears of a widening conflict.

US President Donald Trump has also been pressuring Washington’s allies to show more support for the war, slamming NATO countries as “cowards” for refusing to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has essentially shuttered the critical Gulf waterway amid the war, forcing leaders around the world to scramble to try to offset the effects on their economies and energy supplies.

Amid the turmoil, many countries have refused to get directly involved in the war while calling for urgent de-escalation.

On Friday, Switzerland announced that it would halt any weapons exports to the US that could be used in military operations against Iran, citing its longstanding policy of neutrality.

“The export of war materiel to countries involved ⁠in the international armed conflict with Iran cannot be authorised for the duration of the conflict”, the Swiss government said.

Sri Lanka’s president also cited his country’s neutrality in the decision to deny the US request to land the two aircraft at Matalla airport earlier this month.

Dissanayake said he had received another request that same day, on February 26, from Iran to seek permission for three naval vessels to make a goodwill visit to Sri Lanka.

“With two requests before us, the decision was clear,” he said, noting that the government denied both to avoid taking sides as signs of escalating conflict emerged.

“Had we said ‘yes’ to Iran, we would have had to say ‘yes’ to the US, as well”, Dissanayake added.

In early March, Sri Lanka’s navy rescued 32 Iranian crew off IRIS Dena after it was torpedoed by a US submarine off the country’s coast, killing at least 84 people.

Days later, Sri Lanka evacuated more than 200 crew members from a second Iranian vessel, IRIS Bushehr, after the ship requested assistance from Colombo.

[Aljazeera]