Missing Tsunami donor funds and current development of North East Sri Lanka
“Review and deliberation of Tsunami recovery process important in the context of current development of North and East Sri Lanka,” Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL), said in a statement marking the fifth anniversary of the 2004 tsunami.
TISL joins other several quarters that are urging for a tighter control against graft this time around, anticipating that the recent new North-East development initiatives by the World Bank and other donor agencies will build a good foundation for continued peace, rehabilitation and reconstruction if provided with adequate transparency.
Many express concern that new donor funds earmarked for North-East may get spent for other “unauthorised” projects just like in the case of the tsunami recovery programs.
TISL, in pointing that the authorities in Sri Lanka are failing to explain to what happened to tsunami recovery funds of over 471 million USD out of 1075 million USD provided by the donors, said:
“The difference between the disbursed and the expended has been a controversial issue that does not have a credible explanation. While some officials were reluctant to divulge the information, there were some responsible bodies, who implied that the funds have been utilized by the government for other purposes.”
In its statement to mark the fifth anniversary of the devastating Asian tsunami, Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) said the donors have also failed to keep their word.
More than 2126 million USD has been pledged by the donors but only 1075 million USD has been disbursed, according to the watchdog, TISL.
TISL’s conclusion and recommendations regarding the Tsunami Reconstruction process as follows:
a. TISL believes that it is a prime right of the people in Sri Lanka to know the true picture of the Tsunami recovery process. Therefore, the government should take every possible step to assure and respect the right to information of the general public of the country. Thus an audit should be done by the government to explain the utilization of the money received and the challenges faced.
b. All steps should be taken to arrest and remedy the existing problems in the recovery process. The participation of the public is paramount in this regard.
c. A special Committee of the Public Accounts Committee or an Independent Commission be constituted to review any remaining issues relating to the Tsunami Recovery Process and make necessary recommendations and lessons leant as related guidelines for the future.
d. TISL reiterates the importance of collating and documenting all the information of Tsunami 2004 in relation to both the relief and recovery process. Such deliberation is important in the context of current development in the North and East of Sri Lanka.
Unless the political leadership is committed to these recommendations, similar unfortunate experience will be repeated in the reconstruction of the North and the East of Sri Lanka.
Other media reports also stated that the World Bank, which recently concluded an audit of its $150-million tsunami rebuilding work, found out that a multitude of government agencies slowed down recovery programs leaving room for misuse of funds.
Sri Lanka was forced to refund the bank in cases where funds were misused. The bank said the government had bought 168 motorcycles for other work and claimed them from tsunami aid budgets.
The bank asked for a refund of $134,000 from the government in 2006 and finally had its cash refunded in May this year.
