President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has intervened to block proposed changes to Sri Lanka's Anti-Corruption Act that would have restricted public access to asset declarations made by politicians and public officials.
The President issued direct instructions to relevant officials to revise the draft amendments, ensuring that the disclosure of politicians' assets and liabilities remains accessible to the general public, sources familiar with the matter confirmed.
A Blow to Transparency Concerns
The proposed amendments had raised serious concerns among civil society groups and anti-corruption advocates, who warned that limiting public access to such declarations would represent a significant step backwards in Sri Lanka's ongoing efforts to promote government accountability and transparency.
Asset declarations by elected representatives and senior public servants are widely regarded as a critical tool in the fight against corruption, allowing citizens and watchdog organisations to scrutinise the financial affairs of those in positions of power.
Presidential Intervention Welcomed
The President's decision to intervene and direct officials to rework the proposed changes has been seen as a reassertion of his administration's stated commitment to rooting out corruption — a pledge that formed a central pillar of his electoral campaign.
President Dissanayake's National People's Power government came to office on a strong anti-corruption platform, and critics had argued that allowing amendments restricting asset declaration transparency would have directly contradicted those promises.
What Happens Next
Officials have been tasked with reviewing and revising the draft amendments in line with the President's directives. The revised proposals are expected to uphold the current level of public access to asset disclosures rather than curtail it.
Sri Lanka's Anti-Corruption Act, which established the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, has been a key legislative instrument in the country's institutional framework for combating financial misconduct among public figures.
The development is likely to be welcomed by transparency advocates who have long pushed for stronger, not weaker, enforcement of asset declaration requirements for those holding public office in Sri Lanka.
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good move but why did they even try to hide it in the first place
finally some transparency, other presidents never bothered with this
lets see if it actually happens first, all talk so far