The Committee on Public Finance (COPF) has approved the proposal regarding the salaries and service conditions of officers and staff of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) in accordance with the Anti-Corruption Act No. 03 of 2023.
The COPF met in Parliament recently under the chairmanship of MP Dr. Harsha de Silva, where the approval was granted after reviewing the proposal.
Committee members Deputy Ministers Nishantha Jayaweera and Chathuranga Abeysinghe, and MPs Ravi Karunanayake, Wijesiri Basnayake and Nimal Palihena also attended the meeting.
During the discussion, Director General of the Bribery Commission Ranga Dissanayake said CIABOC is functioning as a new institution established under the Anti-Corruption Act passed in 2023.
He noted that the law provides for the Commission to appoint the required officers and employees, while their remuneration and service conditions must receive parliamentary approval with the concurrence of the Finance Minister.
Dissanayake also expressed concern over the two-year delay in implementing these measures following the passage of the Act.
The Finance Ministry’s Management Services Department has approved 971 staff positions required for the Commission along with their salary structures and special allowances.
The COPF also noted that the salary scale proposed for legal officers attached to the Commission is lower than that of legal officers in the Attorney General’s Department. However, the Committee approved the proposal to avoid further delays in recruitment, while emphasizing that appropriate salary scales should be established in the future to strengthen the institution.
The Committee further observed that a separate proposal regarding the salary scales of the Commissioners and the Director General, including the Chairman, will be presented later. It is expected that their salaries will be aligned with those of Court of Appeal judges, as previously recommended by the COPF.
The Committee also noted that higher salaries compared to the general public sector are justified given the sensitive nature of anti-corruption work, the restrictions on earning additional income, and the potential for conflicts of interest.
Meanwhile, the CIABOC Director General pointed out that having the Bribery Commission based only in Colombo creates operational challenges, particularly when conducting investigations and bringing witnesses from other parts of the country.
He said there are plans to expand the Commission’s presence by establishing district-level offices, with the aim of initially setting up at least nine provincial offices across the country.