In Focus Society Transparency and corruption in public service

The Importance of the Right to Information in Building a Democratic State

Admin November 26, 2024

by Srimal DC The right to information, or the right to access information, is recognized globally as a fundamental human right, and the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) supports this right. It promotes transparency and accountability in a country’s governance. Through the 19th

Environment Lifestyle Society Transparency and corruption in public service

Sri Lanka’s Youth Migration Tragedy

Admin November 16, 2024

by Sheneth Srimal The long queues observed these days for visa applications reveal the scale and depth of a tragedy faced by our nation. The severe economic crisis Sri Lanka experienced recently, along with the societal issues of lacking suitable spaces for deserving individuals, has led many frustrated individuals to seek foreign opportunities. This has […]

Environment In Focus Society Transparency and corruption in public service

The Silent Destroyer of Sri Lankan Nature

Admin November 5, 2024

By Jude Roshan Muthukuda In the past, villagers would leave a portion of their harvest for the birds. However, in the present, the bond between humans and the environment has broken. With global development, humans have begun encroaching on nature. Decades ago, people carried woven bags or cane baskets to markets, unlike the shopping bags […]

Transparency and corruption in public service

The Missing Information on Unsuitable Food and the Slowness of Authorities

Admin December 7, 2021

Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi “The Ministry of Health has no information on foods containing carcinogens and unfit for human consumption. The need for information analysis arose only after the request for information.” – Ministry of Health 10/07/2021 Food safety is a key right in a democracy for which a country’s government, law enforcement and regulatory authorities

Transparency and corruption in public service

Did we pay for the first 500,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine received from India!?

Admin September 27, 2021

K. Prasanna Vaccination programmes for the general public have been intensified as the vaccine is considered to be the only solution to protect against the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic around the world. Vaccine rollout in Sri Lanka was launched on 29th January 2021. Vaccines such as Oxford AstraZeneca from India, Sinopharm from China, Sputnik-V […]

Transparency and corruption in public service

Lotus Tower; why isn’t it open?

Admin September 27, 2021

K. Prasanna The Lotus Tower located on D. R. Wijewardhana Mawatha, Colombo 10, stands at 350 meters. Built at a cost of $104 million it is considered the highest such tower in South Asia. However, the tower remains unutilized at present. Even though work on the tower was supposed to be completed by 2015, for […]

Transparency and corruption in public service

What happened to the Covid-19 funds?

Admin September 22, 2021

Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi The economies of many countries in the world are collapsing due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is especially true of developing countries. For that reason, those countries need the full support of their citizens as well as foreign aid.  Sri Lanka has also received assistance from many countries and world organizations. By […]

Transparency and corruption in public service

The Billions Behind Garbage Disposal in Colombo

Admin August 31, 2021

K. Prasanna Recently, there was much controversy regarding garbage disposal in areas under the Colombo Municipal Council. Due to the lack of space to dispose of collected waste in the Colombo district garbage piled up on the streets for days. As a recent initiative, disposed of garbage has been used in generating electricity but the […]

Transparency and corruption in public service

Rs.720 Million Unresolved Elephant-Human Conflict

Admin August 31, 2021

Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi According to information obtained from the Department of Wildlife under the Right to Information Act, Rs.722 million worth of firecrackers (6,468,750 individual crackers) were distributed from 2014 to 2020 to stem the human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka.  Sri Lanka’s human-elephant conflict is mainly derived from habitat loss for wild

Transparency and corruption in public service

An Order From the Information Commission to the Police Against Withholding Information

Admin August 30, 2021

Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi In Sri Lanka, many public authorities inadvertently block the public’s right to information guaranteed by the Right to Information Act. Therefore, the right to information, a hallmark of a democratic society, is under serious threat. Integrity, which is dependent on the efficiency of a country’s public authorities, is a distinctive