President unveils National Anti-Corruption Action Plan 2025-2029

• Warns of legal action for non-compliance
• Says corruption, ranging from petty bribery to grand-scale financial crimes, eroded SL’s integrity and damaged country’s global standing
• Pledges burden of fighting corruption would not be passed to future generations
• Highlights Action Plan is not merely a policy but national commitment to build country of integrity, restore public faith in governance
• Japanese Ambassador Akio Isomata and UNDP Resident Representative Azusa Kubota welcome Sri Lanka’s reform drive

President Anura Kumara Disanayake yesterday reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to eradicating bribery and corruption, declaring that the Government has taken decisive steps to free anti-corruption efforts from political interference. 

Speaking at the launch of the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan 2025-2029 at the BMICH in Colombo, the President stressed that the time for leniency is over, with legal action set to begin in May against State officials who fail to align with the Government’s reform agenda.

The President said that while political leadership is now disengaged from corrupt practices, it is up to the State administrative machinery to follow suit. A six-month grace period had already been provided, he said, and any further resistance would be met with firm legal consequences. 

Disanayake noted that corruption, ranging from petty bribery to grand-scale financial crimes, has eroded the integrity of the State and damaged the country’s global standing.

He further claimed that entrenched networks of corruption have infiltrated even law enforcement and regulatory institutions, operating alongside underworld figures. These networks, the President revealed, have already been identified and will be dismantled.

In a strong pledge, President Disanayake vowed that the burden of fighting corruption would not be passed to future generations, asserting that his Government would resolve the issue within its term. 

Drawing a contrast with India’s post-independence development, he said Sri Lanka’s descent into bankruptcy was a direct result of decades of mismanagement and corruption.

The newly launched Action Plan focuses on four strategic pillars: prevention and education, public participation, institutional strengthening, and legal reform. A key element includes the establishment of internal control units in all State institutions, monitored digitally under the Presidential Secretariat to ensure transparency and accountability.

The President also announced that the Government will implement a national policy framework that guarantees transparency in public spending. “It must be clear to the people that no one can escape the law after committing a crime,” he said, noting that public trust can only be restored when justice is visibly upheld.

Developed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), the Action Plan followed extensive stakeholder consultation, including national and provincial engagements, media campaigns, and surveys, to gather public opinion. Contributions came from a broad cross-section of society – from MPs, judges, and civil society to youth, media professionals, and the private sector.

Japanese Ambassador Akio Isomata and UNDP Resident Representative Azusa Kubota also addressed the event, acknowledging the negative impact of corruption on economic growth and investor confidence. Ambassador Hideaki said Japan welcomes Sri Lanka’s reform drive, while Kubota cited survey data showing that 84% of Sri Lankans believe corruption influences their willingness to pay taxes. Both officials underscored that transparency and accountability are critical for development.

The President concluded by stating that the Action Plan is more than a policy—it is a national commitment to build a country of integrity and restore public faith in governance.

The event was attended by Supreme Court Chief Justice Justice Murdu Nirupa Bidushinie Fernando, Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe, PC, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, CIABOC Chairman former High Court Judge Neil Iddawala, CIABOC Director General R.S.A. Dissanayake, Commanders of the Tri-Forces, the Inspector General of Police, senior officials from the security forces, and a large number of State officials.