PRIME Minister Rick Houenipwela said leaders in Parliament must listen to the pleas of the people to pass the Anti-Corruption Bill 2017.
“When there is an overwhelming desire by the people, when there is collective pressure by the people, for Government to do something about a particular matter and in this case the ACB, it is because the people are aggrieved by the existence of a problem,” he told Parliament.
The Prime Minister highlighted this when delivering his speech during the 2nd reading of the Anti-Corruption Bill 2017 in Parliament.
The Prime Minister encouraged Members of Parliament to be responsive to the wishes of the people and that is to pass the ACB 2017.
“We all know what corruption does to our people – whether they are in the urban areas or in the rural villages – throughout this country, corruption erodes all opportunities to better their wellbeing,” he said.
Prime Minister Houenipwela also said corruption hinders the achievement of good governance, a fundamental requirement to achieving optimal and sustainable economic development.
He said that where the problem of corruption persists and good governance does not exist; it will always be difficult to deliver public services effectively and the provisions of health and education service sub-standards.
The Prime Minister said that corruption diverts scarce public monies from public investments in infrastructures, in education, health and the productive sector.
“It is no surprise therefore, why there is an outcry from our people for us leaders and the Government to do something about corruption. The outcry of the people reflects the way corruption has and will continue to hurt them. It’s an outcry that no one else can do anything about it except us in this supreme law-making body of our beloved country,” the Prime Minister said.
–PM PRESS SECRETARIAT
