Anti-Corruption campaign begins on multiple fronts
* Proceeds of Crime Bill, Anti-Corruption Act and National Action Plan operational
* ‘Unofficial network’ shielding corruption faces axe
* Roadmap to transform entire society
The Government has kicked into gear with immediate effect a comprehensive plan to target corruption on several fronts, senior officials said.
The Proceeds of Crime Bill was passed in Parliament, which will enable the authorities to track down and locate illegally earned funds. This will complement the previously passed Anti Corruption Act (ACA). In the latest salvo against corruption at all levels in society, the Government will soon implement the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) 2025–2029 which was presented to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Wednesday at an event organised by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC). The NACAP was formally presented to the President by CIABOC Chair, former Appeal Court Justice Neil Iddawela.
CIABOC officials said the Action Plan is a roadmap for transformation across Sri Lankan society. When implemented in full, the Action Plan will make corruption visible through structured, inclusive, and results-driven mechanisms to integrate anti-corruption measures across systems and institutions. They said the Action Plan responds to public demand. “Citizens want justice, accountability, and an end to impunity. It directly addresses everyday corruption in public services, bringing previously hidden misconduct into the open and reinforcing public accountability.”
Addressing the gathering on this occasion, President Dissanayake vowed to dismantle what he described as an “unofficial institution” protecting bribery and corruption in Sri Lanka, warning that unless the authorities reform by May, he will take action to overhaul them.
The President said: “For the past six months since assuming office, I have allowed time for key institutions to change their ways. If they fail to do so, I will change them after May.”
He said that corruption in the country had reached such depths that it had spawned a parallel system operating outside the official State framework. “There exists an unofficial institution functioning with full force—an illegal structure made up of political authorities, administrative officials, certain police officers and powerful business tycoons—actively shielding bribery and corruption,” he said.
He said the country was now witnessing a confrontation between formal anti-corruption mechanisms and this illicit network. “What we are seeing is a clash between the legal establishment and the forces that work to preserve corruption.”
Citing examples of the extent of the crisis, the President said corrupt practices now permeate all levels—from minor infrastructure projects to the health sector.
He added that the public’s faith in the justice system was eroding due to the pervasiveness of corruption. The NACAP has been developed by CIABOC with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka and funded by the Government of Japan, which has contributed approximately US$900,000 through the project Promoting Economic Governance through Anti-Corruption Policy Support. The Action Plan is structured around four core strategies: prevention measures; value-based education and community engagement; institutional strengthening of CIABOC and law enforcement agencies; and legal and policy reform. UNDP Resident Representative Azusa Kubota said corruption undermines the quality of public services and noted the broader impact on governance and revenue.
“The United Nations estimates that corruption costs developing countries over US$1.3 trillion annually,” she said. “According to Sri Lanka’s first Taxpayers’ Perception Survey last year, 84 percent of respondents said corruption affects their willingness to pay taxes.”
She added that 49 percent of respondents admitted to having paid a bribe, underscoring the urgency for transparency and accountability to rebuild trust between citizens and the state. Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Akio Isomata said that corruption remains a major deterrent to foreign investment.
