It was reported this week that two high-ranking Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) officials, one Deputy General Manager and one Chief Engineer, have been suspended by the CEB Chairman in connection with the power outages that occurred during the strike launched by the CEB engineers’ trade union on 9 June. According to Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera, this decision was taken as per a preliminary investigation conducted by the CEB with regard to the said incident.
This is not the first time that the conduct of CEB officials was found to be questionable. During the past few months, especially when scheduled power cuts started in the beginning of this year, various allegations were leveled against CEB officials for allegedly obstructing renewable energy projects to prevent power shortages from being resolved, supporting and paving the way for emergency power purchases from private companies in order to get commissions, and supporting the continuation of traditional, high-cost power generation methods.
What is more, recently, before the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), information about unnecessary and wasteful allowances and incentives given to CEB officials came to light, raising more questions about the real reasons why certain public institutions keep making mammoth losses.
Judging by several incidents that occurred and information that was divulged over the past few years, this situation is not limited to the CEB. Several major loss-making institutions, such as SriLankan Airlines and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, have also come under fire for not only allowing waste, corruption, and inefficiency to continue, but also for not taking or supporting measures to address the same.
One reality that has not received adequate attention from the public, including those protesting demanding a stable economy and a corruption-free, people-friendly political culture, is that politicians’ competency or political decisions are not the only factors that decide the nature and growth of the country’s economy. At the end of the day, decisions taken by politicians are implemented by public officials and others under them, and their capabilities, agendas, level of honesty, and performance are a large part of what ensures the success of the Government’s decisions. At the same time, certain political decisions are taken on the basis of information provided by public officials, and therefore, the truthfulness and accuracy of these inputs is also a concern.
In this context, at a time when the people have taken to the streets with common demands, it is also crucial to acknowledge the importance of getting the country’s public sector on the right track in order to support the economic recovery that the country desperately needs to achieve. Unless and until Sri Lanka reforms loss-making and inefficient public institutions, no form of political or social change would bring about the transformation that the people demand.
While political leadership plays the main role in this process, the people also have a responsibility. Political leaders should appoint the right people for the right job in the public sector and establish effective mechanisms to eradicate corruption and tie the hands of corrupt officials, while the public should not hesitate to demand proper and honest services for the tax money that they pay to maintain the public sector.
Most importantly, committees such as the Committee on Public Enterprises should be further strengthened to probe the activities of public institutions, while also introducing newer and strengthening existing mechanisms that allow the people to take action against corrupt or inefficient public institutions or officials.
Bringing in laws to increase accountability on the part of the heads of public institutions is also crucial. Sri Lanka should also encourage honest public officials to reveal what they know about corrupt practices and officials in public institutions. Whistleblowers should be encouraged by devising mechanisms to ensure confidentiality and safety. Such a mechanism would be welcomed by scores of honest public officials who have been barred from speaking to the media and going against their corrupt superiors.
However, these can only be achieved through appointing at least a few honest politicians to powerful positions and through challenging the existing systems that support, or are not strong enough, to curb corruption. The public has an important role to play in this process. They should vote more responsibly and not tolerate corruption and waste in public institutions. Public role in fixing public sector
07 Jul 2022
Public role in fixing public sector
07 Jul 2022
It was reported this week that two high-ranking Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) officials, one Deputy General Manager and one Chief Engineer, have been suspended by the CEB Chairman in connection with the power outages that occurred during the strike launched by the CEB engineers’ trade union on 9 June. According to Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera, this decision was taken as per a preliminary investigation conducted by the CEB with regard to the said incident.
This is not the first time that the conduct of CEB officials was found to be questionable. During the past few months, especially when scheduled power cuts started in the beginning of this year, various allegations were leveled against CEB officials for allegedly obstructing renewable energy projects to prevent power shortages from being resolved, supporting and paving the way for emergency power purchases from private companies in order to get commissions, and supporting the continuation of traditional, high-cost power generation methods.
What is more, recently, before the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), information about unnecessary and wasteful allowances and incentives given to CEB officials came to light, raising more questions about the real reasons why certain public institutions keep making mammoth losses.
Judging by several incidents that occurred and information that was divulged over the past few years, this situation is not limited to the CEB. Several major loss-making institutions, such as SriLankan Airlines and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, have also come under fire for not only allowing waste, corruption, and inefficiency to continue, but also for not taking or supporting measures to address the same.
One reality that has not received adequate attention from the public, including those protesting demanding a stable economy and a corruption-free, people-friendly political culture, is that politicians’ competency or political decisions are not the only factors that decide the nature and growth of the country’s economy. At the end of the day, decisions taken by politicians are implemented by public officials and others under them, and their capabilities, agendas, level of honesty, and performance are a large part of what ensures the success of the Government’s decisions. At the same time, certain political decisions are taken on the basis of information provided by public officials, and therefore, the truthfulness and accuracy of these inputs is also a concern.
In this context, at a time when the people have taken to the streets with common demands, it is also crucial to acknowledge the importance of getting the country’s public sector on the right track in order to support the economic recovery that the country desperately needs to achieve. Unless and until Sri Lanka reforms loss-making and inefficient public institutions, no form of political or social change would bring about the transformation that the people demand.
While political leadership plays the main role in this process, the people also have a responsibility. Political leaders should appoint the right people for the right job in the public sector and establish effective mechanisms to eradicate corruption and tie the hands of corrupt officials, while the public should not hesitate to demand proper and honest services for the tax money that they pay to maintain the public sector.
Most importantly, committees such as the Committee on Public Enterprises should be further strengthened to probe the activities of public institutions, while also introducing newer and strengthening existing mechanisms that allow the people to take action against corrupt or inefficient public institutions or officials.
Bringing in laws to increase accountability on the part of the heads of public institutions is also crucial. Sri Lanka should also encourage honest public officials to reveal what they know about corrupt practices and officials in public institutions. Whistleblowers should be encouraged by devising mechanisms to ensure confidentiality and safety. Such a mechanism would be welcomed by scores of honest public officials who have been barred from speaking to the media and going against their corrupt superiors.
However, these can only be achieved through appointing at least a few honest politicians to powerful positions and through challenging the existing systems that support, or are not strong enough, to curb corruption. The public has an important role to play in this process. They should vote more responsibly and not tolerate corruption and waste in public institutions. Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!