Sri Lankans have a practice of asking favours all the time, OPA President says
View(s):Good governance assures that corruption is minimised, the views of the people are taken into account and the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision making, a top professional said recently. Prof. Rohana Kuruppu, President of the Organisation of Professional Associations (OPA), speaking at the OPA’s 29th Annual Conference held in Colombo recently, also said that good governance requires a fair legal framework enforced impartially. “It also requires full protection of human rights. In short, the term good governance includes a variety of good things. Good governance in essence is good decision-making and the implementation of such decisions,” he said. Speaking on the theme of the conference “‘Good Governance-Way Forward”, he said most of the major development institutions the world over are of the view that promoting good governance is an important part of their objectives. However, he pointed out good governance is a complex activity and it goes beyond the power of the government or the strength of political will.
“Improved governance requires a long term partnership with all stakeholders built upon co-operation between government and the people of the country. The democratic processes should be driven not only by the committed government but also by the participation of civil society groups. individuals, institutions, and organisations within the government, public sector, and civil societies must be strong, accountable and participatory to perform good governance. This is easily said than done! How would you get to the good governance from the present status quo? Is there a plan and who is responsible for the plan and implementation? Translating these concepts into practical actions can be a huge challenge,” he noted. Prof. Kuruppu, stating that good governance is one of the most frequently discussed subjects in our country, said that it is now regarded as an essential pre-requisite for the country’s development.
“Let me tell you, most of us believe that nothing could be done without influence. We are in the practice of asking favours all the time. This leads to unpleasant situations. Why should this happen? People are not confident of themselves. Those who have the connections win the battle. Those with quality fade away. Where is justice? Environmental conditions allow these practices to prevail. That is because we have not got the strength to reverse these bad practices for better. We need to manage our resources and instill discipline. There should be efficiency in our processes. Every activity must be effective. Fundamentals must be understood by everyone. A concerted effort must be put in place to make a change in the mindset of our people who lead institutions,” he added.