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Misuse of state property has decreased since presidential poll – Observers

Published

2 years ago

2024/11/8

Thilina Walpola

Manjula Gajanayake- Rohana Hettiarachchi

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The misuse of state property has decreased drastically compared to the situation prior to the 21 September presidential election, Rohana Hettiarachchi, says Executive Director of the People’s Action for Free & Fair Elections (PAFFREL).

Hettiarachchi said yesterday that overall the 21 September presidential election had been one of the cleanest elections Sri Lanka had ever seen.

“The massive misuse of state property was the only problem with the September presidential election. We even went to court seeking an end to this. We don’t see such misuse of state property now,” he said.

Hettiarachchi said that there had been recent controversies regarding appointments to state institutions. “When the government changed on 22 September, many politically appointed individuals resigned. The current government has since filled those vacancies notwithstanding the declaration of a parliamentary election. They have also resumed some projects that were halted during the presidential election period. We had a discussion with the Election Commission, and it was agreed that if the government was not permitted to fill certain vacancies left by the previous administration’s appointees, those institutions would be unable to function. Furthermore, there were concerns about how long these posts could remain vacant, especially with local government and provincial council elections approaching. However, there will be no new appointments or new development projects during election times,” he said.

The Executive Director of PAFFREL said the Anura Kumara Dissanayake administration had been discussing a potential increase in state employees’ salaries. However, that discussion had begun only after the Opposition parties called on the government to implement such a raise. “We do fee that the decision to allocate 11,000 acres of land in Kantale for distribution among farmers could be used for political purposes. There have been several complaints, but overall, the misuse of state resources has significantly declined, and I hope this trend will continue,” he said.

As for the parliamentary polls, there have been some election related violence and some assaults. This is something inevitable given that over 8,800 candidates are in the fray.

“There are some complaints about teachers engaged in election campaigning, especially in the Northern Province. There has been an increase in the use of posters. However, these are insignificant compared to incidents during the previous parliamentary elections,” he said.

Hettiarachchi said that political parties were vying with one another to claim the dominant position in the Opposition, instead of winning the election. That had also led to a dampening of enthusiasm, he noted.

A candidate for Colombo can spend about Rs 5.7 million for his or her campaign. “They have to spend this carefully. If you advertise in mainstream newspapers, you will blow the money within a few days,” he said.

The PAFFREL Executive Director added that there was uncertainty among politicians whether they could win the election. If they lose all the money they spend would go to waste. “Previously, political parties had some idea about how many seats they could win in an election. This is much more difficult to do now, therefore political parties themselves are hesitant to spend money. There is also doubt among politicians whether it would be possible to recover the costs of campaigning during the next five years,” he said.

Executive Director – Institute of Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES), Manjula Gajanayake said that political parties were already showing signs of fatigue as they had to mobilise resources and party machinery to contest back-to-back elections. These signs of fatigue will show in 2025, when two more elections, i.e., local government and provincial council elections, are to be held.

“Sri Lanka did not have any election for over four and a half years because the Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe administrations did not hold scheduled elections citing various reasons. It is because these administrations deliberately postponed the elections that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has had to hold a series of elections, which have been postponed. We already had the Elpitiya local government election and we will have the parliamentary election next week,” he said.

Gajanayake said that the political leaders who had postponed elections in the past few years for narrow political gain, were now suffering the consequences of their actions.

Let’s compare the campaign during postal voting during the presidential and parliamentary elections. Postal voting during the presidential election saw millions of social media posts intended for state employees eligible for postal voting, and many state employees also actively shared their opinions on social media and WhatsApp groups. That kind of enthusiasm was not there for postal voting during the parliamentary election,” he said. On the other hand, this is the first parliamentary election after 1977, with campaign finance laws in place.

Gajanayake said that there were close to 9,000 candidates and they must take campaign finance laws seriously. All the candidates must appoint an agent who is in charge of preparing the expenses reports, he said.

The IRES Executive Director said that a large number of established politicians were not contesting the general election. “Compared to previous parliamentary elections, this is the election where the most MPs and former ministers, from the previous parliament, are not contesting,” he said.

“Most of these former MPs and ministers were among the highest spenders during previous elections. This is one of the reasons why there is less promotional material,” he said.

Gajanayake said that because of the requirement for campaign finance reporting, it had become much more difficult to launder money compared to previous elections. For example, previously a candidate could print any amount of posters and there was no need for him to document how he got the funding and who his donors were.

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President chairs 2027 Pre-Budget talks on Agriculture Ministry

Published

6 hours ago

2026/07/8

Priyan

A discussion to review the progress of projects being implemented under the 2026 budget allocations for the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, and to consider the Ministry’s budgetary requirements for 2027, was held on Tuesday (07) morning at the Presidential Secretariat under the chairmanship of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

During the meeting, the progress of projects implemented in 2026 by institutions under the Ministry, including the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian Development, the Department of Export Agriculture and the Institute of Post-Harvest Technology (IPHT), was reviewed individually. Attention was also focused on institutions requiring restructuring to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

The President instructed that all irrigation projects maintained by various institutions, departments and local authorities should be regulated through a single district-level unit. He also directed that irrigation rehabilitation projects being implemented across the island be comprehensively mapped.

Emphasising the need to maximise the utilisation of funds allocated under the 2026 Budget, the President instructed officials to further promote concessionary bank loan facilities available to young entrepreneurs in the agriculture and industrial sectors.

The President also instructed officials to submit a report containing proposals for the integrated and systematic management of extension services currently operating under various ministries. He further highlighted the importance of holding separate discussions on individual subject areas to ensure seamless coordination between the Provincial Councils and the Central Government.

The President also directed officials to submit new proposals and projects aimed at promoting export agricultural crops and increasing the value of related products.

The meeting also reviewed projects launched in recent years with foreign loan assistance. As many had exceeded their scheduled completion dates, the President instructed officials to expedite their completion. He further emphasised that, in future, no project financed through foreign loans should be approved without a clear understanding of its intended outcomes.

It was also noted that the Government had incurred a significant financial burden due to the failure to complete certain projects initiated in previous years within the stipulated timeframe. Accordingly, it was decided to review projects that had not been completed on schedule.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of replacing outdated projects and programmes that have continued for many years without delivering tangible results with more productive agricultural programmes.

Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K.D. Lalkantha; Minister of Labor and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando; Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne; Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation Aravinda Senarath; Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake; Secretary to the Treasury and Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Dr.Harshana Suriyapperuma; Senior Additional Secretary to the President Kapila Janaka Bandara; Secretary to the Ministry of Energy and Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russell Aponsu; Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation D.P. Wickramasinghe; and officials of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation were also present at the discussion.

News

Committee Appointed to investigate unrest at Negombo Prison

Published

7 hours ago

2026/07/8

Priyan

A Committee of Inquiry was appointed on Tuesday (07) by Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, with Cabinet approval, to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the unrest that occurred at Negombo Prison on 5 and 6 July and to report on the circumstances that led to the incident.

The Committee is chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge Priyantha Fernando. Its other members are Additional Solicitor General and President’s Counsel Milinda Gunatilake and President’s Counsel Mohan Weerakoon. Senior Assistant Secretary to the President K.L.D. Asela has been appointed Secretary/Convener of the Committee of Inquiry.

News

“Badhu Shakthi 2026” National Tax Week begins

Published

13 hours ago

2026/07/8

Priyan

The inaugural ceremony of “Badhu Shakthi 2026” (“බදු ශක්ති 2026”) National Tax Week, organised by the Revenue Administration Reform and Modernisation Unit of the Presidential Secretariat with the objective of strengthening State revenue generation and accelerating the country’s future development process, was held on Monday (06) morning at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne.

“Badhu Shakthi 2026” is a year-round national programme aimed at transforming the negative public perception of taxation into a positive one while fostering a culture of voluntary tax compliance. To mark its commencement, a National Tax Week will be observed across the island from 6 to 10 July.

A nationwide media and public awareness campaign will be conducted in parallel, including the distribution of leaflets and a range of promotional activities designed to educate the public directly and encourage greater tax compliance.

Addressing the inaugural event, Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne stated that “Badhu Shakthi 2026” is not simply a tax collection campaign but a national initiative aimed at cultivating responsible citizens who love their country.

Further elaborating, the Speaker said:

“Today marks a significant milestone in our country’s future development and economic stability. The strength and sustainability of any sovereign nation depend on its economic independence. Taxation is one of the key instruments for strengthening State revenue and driving national development.

However, taxation has long been viewed negatively by many people. That perception was largely shaped by those responsible for collecting taxes and by successive administrations. When people develop a sense of national responsibility, their attitudes begin to change. For many years, taxes were regarded as a burden. History has shown us that tax evasion occurred on a significant scale, and it must be acknowledged, however reluctantly, that such practices often enjoyed political patronage.

In the past, the public had little understanding of how their tax contributions were utilised. Taxpayers lacked a clear vision of the benefits derived from the taxes they paid. The present Government has succeeded in changing this situation by fostering a more positive public attitude towards taxation. I wish to pay tribute to all taxpayers who contribute towards the Government’s national development agenda.

Today, people have confidence that the taxes they pay are being put to good use. Expressways, highways and power infrastructure projects are now being implemented using domestic funds. There is a sense of pride among the public that construction of the Kandy Expressway has commenced without obtaining loans from any external source. Cabinet approval has also been granted to commence work on the Kurunegala–Galewela Road.

Today, Sri Lanka has grown stronger as a nation capable of financing development activities through domestic resources rather than relying on foreign borrowing.

In ancient times, the country’s great stupas, reservoirs and irrigation networks were built through the collective contribution of the people. Likewise, Sri Lanka can become a prosperous and developed nation only through collective effort. The taxes collected today are being utilised for the welfare of the people. This was clearly demonstrated when the Government allocated Rs. 500 billion in response to Cyclone Ditwah. In addition, substantial benefits are now being provided to the public through the President’s Fund. Educational assistance is being extended to schoolchildren across every corner of the country. All of these initiatives are being financed through domestic resources.

It is essential that the public are made aware of the real benefits derived from tax revenue and of the development projects being implemented. This will strengthen public confidence in the transparent use of tax revenue. The primary objective of this national programme is to broaden the country’s tax base, improve tax compliance, reduce tax evasion and foster a positive attitude towards taxation. If everyone pays their fair share of taxes, the tax burden borne by others can be reduced.

We do not build a beehive with a single bee. It is created through the collective effort of thousands of bees, making it a remarkable achievement. Likewise, ‘Badhu Shakthi 2026’ is not merely a tax collection campaign. It is a national movement to cultivate responsible citizens who love their country. I extend my sincere appreciation to everyone who has dedicated themselves to making this important initiative a success.”

Labour Minister and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Anil Jayantha Fernando:

Labour Minister and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando said that a proper understanding of taxation among citizens would enable Sri Lanka to make greater progress towards economic and social transformation.

He noted that while individuals naturally pursue their own personal goals and aspirations, many of these objectives cannot be achieved in isolation. The success of any society depends on cooperation and collective effort.

He further stated:

“Today, paying taxes has become a much simpler process. As a result, tax collection is now carried out more efficiently and systematically. At the same time, the Government recognises its responsibility to ensure that tax revenue collected fairly is managed prudently and utilised for the benefit of society. If the Government fails to demonstrate sound financial discipline, people will lose confidence and become reluctant to pay taxes. This was evident in the past.

Accordingly, the Government has introduced a tax administration system founded on strong fiscal discipline. We will not tolerate fraud, corruption or waste. If we are to rebuild this country, every citizen must contribute willingly and with a sense of national responsibility. This should not be driven solely by legal obligation. We are confident that the people of Sri Lanka will fulfil this responsibility.”

Deputy Minister of Economic Development Nishantha Jayaweera, Director General of Customs Wimal Liyanagama, Director General of Excise M.B.N.A. Premaratne, and Commissioner General of Inland Revenue Rukdevi Fernando also addressed the gathering.

Among those present were Director General of Public Relations to the President Dharmasiri Gamage, senior officials of the Presidential Secretariat, the Ministry of Finance, Sri Lanka Customs, the Department of Excise, the Inland Revenue Department, as well as taxpayers and other invited participants.