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by Lucien Rajakarunanayake

Jacob is baffled. It's not Jacob of the Bible. It is Jack Jacob, Head of the Asian Development Bank's Governance Department. And why is he baffled? It's because of Sri Lanka's non-participation in ratifying the Action Plan for Asia and the Pacific to fight corruption. He has expressed his "bafflement" about Sri Lanka's position at the fourth meeting of the ADB and OECD led initiative on combating corruption in the Asia Pacific Region, now on at Kuala Lumpur.

Several Asian countries have raised questions about Sri Lanka's non-participation in endorsing the Action Plan to fight corruption in this region. Transparency International (TI) has reported that Sri Lanka has also failed to make any contribution to the development of the UN Convention against Corruption yes, Corruption with a capital C.

If Jacob is baffled, Weliamuna seems disillusioned. Mr. J. C. Weliamuna, Executive Director of TI Sri Lanka, participating at the KL Conference, says the Action Plan on Fighting Corruption in the Region had been endorsed by 21 countries, including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, with Sri Lanka being the only exception. For all his legal expertise and success in Fundamental Rights litigation.

Mr. Weliamuna seems disillusioned that the UNF Government has failed to keep to its promises of good governance, proper management and the elimination of corruption it gave the people in the run up to the General Election of December 5, 2001. If he had any faith in the UNP's commitment to fight or end corruption, he should have abandoned it when he saw how the UNP defeated the last government by encouraging the unprincipled cross-over of Ministers and MPs from one side of Parliament to the other.

That was privileged corruption of the Parliamentary kind. However, he continues to battle on against corruption and all credit to him for that.

Jacob has said the ADB had informed the Sri Lankan Government about the process of ratification of the "Action Plan" throughout the year, but had so far not received a favourable response to the initiative. He still hopes Sri Lanka would respond favourably. Such hopes can only come by being out of sync with ground reality on the Big C.

As for the UN Convention on Anti-Corruption, it is now learnt that more than 130 countries were due to sign it, with the exception of Sri Lanka, when Anti-Corruption Day was celebrated in Mexico on December 9. TI notes with regret that Sri Lanka is among the few countries that failed to make any contribution to the development of this Convention.

The problem is that far too many expectations have been placed on Sri Lanka, especially under the present UNF administration, of being supportive of actions against corruption. For all its great talk of good governance during election time, which was well promoted by the business sector and the private media, there is no doubt this is the most corruption ridden government that we have had since independence.

In the past two years since December 5, 2001, it has broken all possible records in political, managerial, organizational and corporate corruption, and reached the nadir in bad and corrupt governance. I am, therefore, not surprised in the least about this government giving such a wide berth to these Actions Plans and Conventions against corruption, whether organised by the ADB or the UN.

One must remember that Sri Lanka of today is ready to break ranks with other countries, not only of South Asia, but also of the Third World, when it comes to promoting its own brand of corrupt governance and kowtowing to the interests of American-led multi-nationals with scant respect for clean and honest governance.

Sri Lanka under the UNF is always ready to be in the pack of the corrupt wolves of the world. This was manifestly clear when Sri Lanka broke ranks with the Third World alliance, led by India, China and Brazil at the recent WTO Conference held at Cancun. It was a disgusting abandonment of the interests and concerns of the Third World, especially with regard to US and EU agricultural subsidies, which is the essence of pork-barrel politics over there. No doubt the Sri Lankan Prime Minister must be greatly satisfied by the thanks offered him by President Bush for Sri Lanka's action at the failed conference of the WTO.

Case study in corruption

To get back to our own corruption, what TI, ADB and the UN should do, is to ask that Sri Lanka offer itself as a case study on corruption, to help draft any future resolutions or conventions against corruption and the lack of transparency in governance. If a suitable price tag is attached to this request, the present government will even boast about a further source of foreign investment as a result of the corrupt policies of this government. Corruption does pay; it will be said at a post-Cabinet media briefing.

They will not be wanting in experts to guide them through the labyrinth of corruption that prevails in this country, layer upon layer, whether in government contracts and expenditure or corporate activity. There will be Cabinet Ministers ready, of course at the correct price or fee, (let's not call it a commission), to show how they manipulate the award of tenders for construction work or infrastructure development.

One is bound to have ministerial expertise at hand to show how racketeering in the field of fisheries, and how ministers can enrich themselves on the bounty of the ocean, at the expense of the country. Similarly they will be glad to show how much filthy lucre could be made by the destruction of the environment, exploiting wildlife and denuding our forests. There is corruption even in the gifting of elephants to temples, shrines and private exploitation.

It will be very easy to find a ministerial guide on how to award a contract for the construction of a road in a war-affected region to one's sister and mother-in-law, and show that it is all very much in keeping with the law because the mother-in-law is a registered road builder: "See, me no outlaw, only an in-law". The same minister will gladly show how one can obtain plenty of buckshee, by sending spoilt rice to people being rehabilitated.

There are other ministers who can show how personal profits can be made through agricultural subsidies, the import of essential foods, and even from programmes for the alleviation of poverty. When it comes to industries or industrial development, it is certainly a very rich area for study. The foreign researchers will be given power-point presentations on lining one's pockets by granting of quotas to those in the garment industry. This being the industry with the largest exports from the country the side earnings from quotas are very high indeed.

The potential for such first hand understanding of corruption is seemingly limitless in Sri Lanka today. This is not something that has suddenly emerged in our society. It has been part of our body politic for a long time. Garment quotas made huge private profits in the past too. But, one has never seen corruption in such flamboyant bloom before.

As much as it takes two to tango, one must not mistake that all this corruption is confined to government. It is also very much embedded in the corporate structure of this country.

A brief study of recent privatization activities will show how assets of the people are undervalued to benefit the new owners who whom these are sold. Here in Sri Lanka the Government and the leading lights of the Corporate Sector act in close cooperation and great understanding to keep this system of corruption flourishing, mainly for the benefit of these so-called Captains of Commerce and Industry, who are more appropriately titled the Pirates of Commerce and Industry.

Chambers of corruption

Of Chambers of Commerce and Industry there are plenty, but they hardly make any fuss about this overarching corruption that prevails in the crooked alliance of Government and the private sector. These organizations, supposed to foster good corporate governance, are committed to what is called the Government's programme of "Regaining Sri Lanka". What we observe here instead is a joint effort at "Ripping off Sri Lanka". These are largely chambers of the corrupt and for the corrupt.

While Jacob remains baffled and Weliamuna seems disillusioned, there is also the need to ask the question as to what organizations such as the ADB itself, which wield such power as donors of aid, have done to curb unabated corruption that we see in Sri Lanka. What project has been threatened with the stopping of funds because of corruption?

How have any of these organizations helped expose corruption here? It is no secret that even international organizations and many NGOs involved in development and rehabilitation related projects are also engaged in and are part and parcel of this sprawling net of corruption.

Corruption in Sri Lanka is not hidden. It is there for all to see. In fact if there is one thing that is absolutely transparent in Sri Lanka it is corruption and bad governance.

There is certainly plenty of work for Transparency International, before Sri Lanka becomes a credible signatory to any Action Plan or Convention against corruption.

STONE 'N' STRING

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