News
New laws alone won’t help save Lanka from economic hit men- JVP Leader
By Saman Indrajith
New anti-corruption laws alone would not save Sri Lanka from the grip of economic hit men, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader, Anura Kumara Dissanayaka told Parliament on Thursday during the second reading of the proposed Anti-Corruption Bill.
For the past decades, Sri Lanka had been a victim of economic hitmen, and even the United Nations acknowledged that economic crimes have taken place in Sri Lanka, Dissanayaka said.
“Most Sri Lankans pay heavy taxes to bring in much needed revenue to state coffers because these crooks have emptied the treasury. Superannuation funds have taken drastic cuts. Sri Lankans want to punish these people who destroyed the country,” he said.
The MP said that they supported tougher laws on corruption. However, the Parliament must understand what’s wrong with the existing laws and why they aren’t enough, he said.
“Of course, there are loopholes but we already have tough laws,” he said.
Dissanayaka added that the Offences Against Public Property Act allows the government to take action against anyone who damages state property worth over Rs.25,000. The magistrate court can’t bail out people charged under that act.
Sri Lanka also had the Prevention of Money Laundering Act which allows the government to confiscate properties if a person can’t explain how he or she funded the purchase of such assets.
“We have the Act that established the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and the Penal Code. We support new anti-corruption laws, but we have to first understand why existing laws don’t work. Large scale crooks escape the net of the law through political assistance. A large number of politicians and businessmen, and some senior state officials, are involved in maintaining this reign of corruption. How do we eradicate this reign of corruption? It can only be done with those who have a strong political will. We don’t buy into this idea that laws alone can end this reign of corruption,” he said.
The JVP leader added that Parliament itself has a large number of lawmakers that have been found guilty by courts of law. Instead of being penalized by their parties, these men and women have been given top positions and ministerial portfolios, he said.
“The Chief Government Whip has been fined 25 million rupees by the Colombo High Court. The Court also sentenced him to two years rigorous imprisonment suspended for five years. There was a long discussion on Treasury bond scams and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) campaigned in 2019 to send Ranil Wickremesinghe to jail over those scams. Now, the same people made Ranil Wickremesinghe the President,” Dissanayaka said.
The JVP leader said that the institutions established to investigate and prosecute corruption had become politicised. The Attorney General’s Department and CIABOC had withdrawn some cases due to political pressure, he said.
“In 2019, CIABOC filed 94 cases and withdrew four, in 2020 it filed 55 cases and withdrew three, in 2021, 69 cases were filed and 42 were withdrawn. And, in 2022, it filed 71 cases and withdrew 43 cases. They withdraw citing technical issues. The problem doesn’t lie with the law but with the political culture of Sri Lanka. How will this act release the AGs department, investigators and law enforcement from the clutches of politicians?” he asked.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a high-level dialogue titled “Tourism as Soft Power and Diplomatic Capital” held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin Davos, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on January 20.
The session explored how tourism functions as a strategic instrument of diplomacy by strengthening international trust, cultural exchange, and regional cooperation through mobility and people-to-people engagement. The Prime Minister shared the panel with Mr. Kuban Omiraliyev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States and Mr. Meshari Alnahar – CEO Aseer Investment Company, Saudi Arabia.
Addressing global trends, the Prime Minister emphasized that Sri Lanka is an example of hope, recovery and resilience in a world of conflict demonstrating how tourism can play a critical role in a changing global environment particularly amid climate shocks, geopolitical instability, and uneven economic recovery. She noted that tourism is not only an economic sector but also a vital diplomatic bridge that supports livelihoods, builds relationships and connects people.
Drawing on Sri Lanka’s recent experience, she highlighted the country’s strong tourism recovery despite multiple crises, including the impact of Cyclone Ditwah. Transparent crisis management and strategic engagement with international partners helped sustain visitor confidence, resulting in record tourist arrivals even in challenging circumstances.
The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of green and climate friendly tourism infrastructure and underlined that Sri Lanka welcomes long term investment in tourism. She pointed out that tourism supports millions of jobs worldwide and that inclusive policies are essential to ensure fair opportunities, particularly for women and vulnerable communities.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 20 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized two (02) Indian fishing boats and apprehended seven (07) Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan, Jaffna.
The seized boats and Indian fishermen was to be handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a series of high-level bilateral meetings on January 20 on the sidelines of the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
The Prime Minister attended a productive bilateral meeting with Mr. Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships. During the discussion, both sides focused on strengthening Sri Lanka–EU cooperation and advancing mutual interests.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya also met with Mr. Masato Kanda, President and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), at the WEF Congress Centre. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss ongoing engagement and future collaboration between Sri Lanka and the ADB.
In addition, the Prime Minister held discussions with Mr. Hassan El Houry, Chairman of Menzies Aviation, where opportunities for collaboration in aviation services and connectivity were explored.
The Prime Minister also participated in a high-level dialogue at the Global Tourism Forum held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin, Davos, as part of the World Economic Forum engagements.
Dr. Anil Jayantha, Minister of Labour, and the Deputy Minister of Finance were also present at these meetings.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
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