A workshop to brief the heads of 250 state institutions on the establishment of Internal Affairs Units was held yesterday (29) at the auditorium of the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, under the patronage of Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
The programme was organised in line with the Government’s initiative to build a clean, transparent and corruption-free public service.
According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), Internal Affairs Units were previously established in 106 state institutions as the first phase of the national programme, and officers attached to those units were provided with specialised training. Building on this initiative, instructions have now been issued to establish Internal Affairs Units in a further 250 state institutions as part of the second phase.
The workshop was organised by the Presidential Secretariat with the assistance of the Clean Sri Lanka Programme.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Kumanayake noted that while Sri Lanka continues to maintain relatively strong positions in sectors such as education and healthcare, the country is ranked 121st in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index. He warned that such a ranking could negatively impact Sri Lanka’s overall standing across other key sectors.
He further stated that the primary slogan of the recent public uprising was opposition to political corruption, and that public dissatisfaction extended beyond politicians to include corrupt public officials. According to the PMD, he emphasised that the uprising took place during a period of economic bankruptcy, when its consequences were being directly felt by the public.
Dr. Kumanayake observed that public uprisings do not occur suddenly, but are the result of a prolonged and systematic build-up of frustration driven by declining public trust in governance. He stressed that such movements should never be underestimated, as they reflect the will of the people.
He underscored the need for both public officials and political authorities to clearly understand public expectations and sentiment, noting that public servants have an obligation to deliver a clean, transparent and accountable public service.
Explaining the broader framework of the initiative, Dr. Kumanayake said a structured national programme has been introduced to strengthen integrity in public service delivery, with Internal Affairs Units forming a key component aimed at enhancing internal oversight, transparency and institutional accountability.
He also highlighted the importance of ethical conduct in public administration, stating that strengthening individual integrity among public officials can play a significant role in transforming the wider culture of corruption within the state sector.
Furthermore, he noted that Internal Affairs Units serve not only as a mechanism to promote a culture of integrity within the public service, but also as a platform for the public to raise concerns regarding the conduct of public officials, thereby strengthening accountability and public trust.
Additional Secretary to the President Chandima Wickramasinghe and Senior Lecturer of the University of Kelaniya, Tharindu Dhananjaya Weerasinghe, delivered keynote presentations at the event.
