-By A Staff Writer
(Lanka-e-News -24.Nov.2024,11.00 pm) Sri Lanka’s senior government officials are proving to be experts in multitasking—balancing public service with running private businesses, albeit not very ethically. Recent revelations suggest that high-ranking officials across various ministries are moonlighting as business moguls, operating large enterprises under the names of their family members. If corruption were an Olympic sport, some of these officials might just bring home the gold.
From the Chief of Defence Staff to officials in the Finance Ministry, Inland Revenue Department, and Ministries of Transport, Health, Labour, Education, and Defence, it seems everyone is cashing in on their positions. And by “everyone,” we mean their entire extended families. The list of alleged offenders reportedly exceeds 800 senior officials. If this trend continues, we might soon need a new Ministry of Family Businesses to oversee this growing enterprise.
What makes these cases particularly galling is how these officials use their government influence to crush competitors. Take, for example, a hotel owner who recently found their establishment raided by the police—not because they broke any laws, but because they dared to rival a business linked to a high-ranking official. It’s less free market and more mafia market at this point.
The ordinary Sri Lankan entrepreneur is left facing an uphill battle. Competing against a government-backed business is like playing cricket with one arm tied behind your back while your opponent brings in the police as their fielders.
Corruption, of course, isn’t unique to Sri Lanka. But there are solutions, as seen in countries like Singapore. In Singapore, if a government official is caught running businesses through family or friends, the response is swift and merciless: the business is shut down, the official is fired, and in some cases, they are thrown behind bars faster than you can say “conflict of interest.”
Perhaps it’s time for Sri Lanka’s newly empowered NPP government to take a page out of Singapore’s anti-corruption playbook. The current system, where senior officials abuse their positions for personal gain, is unsustainable and has turned the public sector into a feeding ground for greed.
To the corrupt officials reading this: the jig is up. If you thought you could hide behind your family names and shady connections forever, think again. Data on these illicit businesses is being collected, and whistleblowers are ready to expose them. The message is clear: step down from your unethical dealings or prepare for your day of reckoning.
The NPP government is being urged to act decisively. Seize these corrupt businesses, throw the offending officials out of office, and, if necessary, into prison cells. Public service is about serving the people, not serving yourself with a side of nepotism.
Sri Lankans are tired of this corrupt factory system. Whether it’s at the airport, the bus station, or any government office, the stench of corruption is undeniable. Officials using their positions to build private empires are turning public service into public exploitation. It’s high time the NPP government sent a strong message: corruption is not a family business.
To the corrupt officials still clutching their ill-gotten gains, consider this your final warning. The people are watching, and they’ve had enough. The choice is yours: either reform or face the consequences.
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by (2024-11-24 17:45:27)
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