Public must be proactive in reporting corruption: President

• Says corruption biggest obstacle to development 
• Core responsibility of Govt. to eradicate waste and corruption 

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday called on the public to be proactive in reporting instances of bribery and corruption to assist in eradicating corruption, which he termed as the “greatest obstacle” to development. 

Releasing a statement to mark International Anti-Corruption Day, he also pledged to work towards reducing corruption, acknowledging it as a core responsibility of the Government. 

The full statement is given below.  

Corruption is the greatest obstacle to development. Be it in the social or the economic domain, corruption prevents institutions from achieving their maximum potential and eventually retards the growth of a country. This is prominently seen during times of crises, where lacunae in oversight mechanisms might allow space for undue exploitations.

A country can combat corruption the best when her citizens have the feel and the inclination to resist this heinous practice. Intolerance for corruption by the citizenry is one of the best antidotes for it. This is the reason for placing a high emphasis on empowering the citizens to fight corruption in the policy statement of the Government, ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’. I consider it to be a core responsibility of my Government to eradicate waste and corruption.

The citizens of Sri Lanka have vouched their strong support and shown the desire to have an efficient country which is corruption-free when they endorsed my victory with a resounding majority. I wish to invite our citizens to play a more participatory and a proactive role in the Government’s administrative machinery, to be more knowledgeable about your rights of obtaining Government services efficiently, and resist being subjected to demands of any form of bribery.

I request you to be more vigilant on the obligations that the Government has towards you, and perform your citizens’ duty by prompt reporting of any incident of corruption or bribery to the law enforcement or investigative authorities. Eradicating this menace from our country will be easier when citizens play a conscious role in the preventive mechanism. 

Together, let us free this country of the culture of corruption and make it a worthy home for our generations to come.