^{(Pic courtesy: Transparency International)}

Sri Lanka has slipped further down places in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, from a rank of 38 in 2018 to 34 this year.

Transparency cites that the weak scores reflect the lack of delivery by elected officials on anti-corruption agendas, together with crackdowns on civil society and attacks on freedoms of press, assembly, and association. 

“Corruption will continue to thrive until justice systems can punish wrongdoing and keep governments in check," said François Valérian, Chair of Transparency International. "When justice is bought or politically interfered with, it is the people that suffer. Leaders should fully invest in and guarantee the independence of institutions that uphold the law and tackle corruption. It is time to end impunity for corruption.”

The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories around the globe by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, scoring on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). According to the latest findings, the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) shows that corruption is thriving across the world.

According to the report, in South Asia, both Pakistan (29) and Sri Lanka (34) grapple with their respective debt burdens and ensuing political instability. “In Sri Lanka, the Supreme Court found that the former president, prime minister and other officials were responsible for the 2021 economic crisis.” More on this landmark judgment can be found here.

Sri Lanka has been identified as a country to watch out for. “As the country heads into a slow economic recovery, we continue to call for lasting reforms through improved legislative frameworks and increased governance standards that will prevent such economic catastrophes in the future.” the report finds. 

According to Transparency, over two-thirds of countries in the Asia and Pacific scored below 50 out of 100, which strongly indicates that they have serious corruption problems. The global average is stuck at only 43, while the vast majority of countries have made no progress or declined in the last decade. Furthermore, 23 countries fell to their lowest scores to date this year, including Sri Lanka. 

“Corruption worsens social injustice and disproportionately affects the most vulnerable," Daniel Eriksson, CEO, of Transparency International said in the report. "In many countries, obstacles to justice for victims of corruption persist. It is time to break the barriers and ensure people can access justice effectively. Everyone deserves fair and inclusive legal systems where victims’ voices are heard at every stage. Anything else is an affront to justice.”

Even though revelations have been made in both the Pandora papers and Panama papers of several notable Sri Lankans, Sri Lanka is yet to make any meaningful progress on the investigation into the offshore accounts or instances of corruption. 

Last year, Sri Lanka's Minister of Public Security, Tiran Alles, was named in the Pandora Papers, confirming he has two firms registered in an offshore tax haven. Banham Ventures Limited and Brompton Properties, both registered in the British Virgin Islands, have named the MP as the owner and director. Currently, no investigations have been taken up by the Sri Lankan authorities to investigate the possibility of tax evasion or money laundering.

Previously the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) revealed in the Pandora Papers how members of the Rajapaksa family stashed millions of dollars in anonymous offshore trusts and shell companies. 

The papers revealed how Nirupama Rajapaksa and her husband Thirukumar Nadesan hid millions from law enforcement during the armed conflict through investments in luxury properties across the world, offshore trusts, and opulent artwork.  Prior to the release of Pandora Papers, 65 Sri Lankans including Avant Garde Pvt. Ltd Chairman Nissanka Senadhipathi, were revealed by the ICIJ as a part of the controversial Panama papers.