“State” and “government” often seem interchangeable but have distinct meanings. The state is the supreme institution, while the government operates as its agent.
It’s essential to recognise that the government functions as an administrative process. If we consider the state as the master, then the government can be viewed as its servant.
The state is a constant entity that does not change, whereas governments may change over time. This illustrates that the state and the government are not the same. Governments are appointed periodically and hold their positions based on a form of trusteeship.
State and Govt…
The government should actively work to achieve the state’s goals, a widely accepted principle. It is responsible for translating the wishes of the state and the people into policies and implementing them.
Therefore, the government is an integral part of the state itself. The public is the ultimate authority over public officials, as most citizens elect various governments to lead the country at different times.
A government comes to power through the popular vote. Consequently, the responsibility of governing, carried out by the people’s representatives under the leadership of the President, should ultimately serve the interests of the citizens.
A group of government officials is dedicated to serving the public. The public is the true master of these officials, as taxpayers fund them.
The tax money collected from the public is used to pay the salaries of public servants. Therefore, these public servants should prioritise serving the public rather than the elected governments that come and go over time.
Responsibility to protect state property
This demonstrates that the government and public servants are collectively responsible for protecting public money and property. This wealth belongs to the country’s citizens. Therefore, the President, all ministers, and government officials must commit to safeguarding public assets.
Many individuals lack a positive work ethic, as demonstrated by the frequent reports of fraud, corruption, and irregularities. Recently, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake made an important statement highlighting that the public believes fraud, corruption, and waste are the primary reasons for the collapse of the country’s economy.
President Anura Dissanayake emphasised that the current mandate aims to prevent fraud and corruption. He pledged to uphold the public’s trust and urged public servants to commit to their responsibilities fully. The President stated that public wealth should be treated as a collective asset, asserting that no individual has the right to defraud or corrupt it.
The change in regime
In light of the recent change in leadership, the statement made by the new President holds significant importance. While past leaders have made similar comments, these previous leaders have often failed to meet the people’s expectations.
Considering how things were handled in the country during that period, most people lack confidence that the leaders truly set an example for their words. In the last presidential election, the majority of voters made a significant change in the country’s leadership.
During this year’s presidential election, voters have approached the process with anticipation. The President believes he must be accountable to the citizens’ mandate.
Many people have turned to a new political tradition due to their protest against the old political culture, concerns over economic issues, and dissatisfaction with the public service’s role.
The responsibility of the new government led by the President
To maintain the people’s trust, all public representatives in the new government, led by the President, have been tasked with leading by example. This is an unchangeable fiduciary responsibility. There is a longstanding tradition of labelling politicians as thieves, yet discussions about public officials involved in corruption are often minimal.
Now is the time to stop blaming politicians. Public servants must also adhere to this mandate and commit to providing honest service for the public who pay their salaries.
Is it fair to increase the salaries of only government employees?
Right now, it’s not just government employees facing hardship and oppression; the whole population is feeling the pressure. Therefore, it’s not appropriate to overlook the economic challenges faced by the majority of the public and excessively raise the salaries of public servants at this time.
Minister Vijitha Herath stated at the recent cabinet press conference that increasing public servants’ salaries is a possibility, as they have come to understand the issue.
When journalists enquired about a potential increase in government employees’ salaries starting in 2025, the minister stated that a decision would be made after assessing the financial situation.
The new government is reviewing the previous government’s decision to raise public servants’ salaries from January 2025.
Many believe this is the correct approach. During the last presidential election, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe claimed that salaries for government employees would increase as of January 2025.
However, it has been noted that this promise was made without proper investigation, and the Ministry of Finance did not conduct any enquiries regarding it.
Arjun Aloysius sentenced to prison
There has been considerable public attention regarding the Colombo Magistrate’s Court’s decision to sentence Arjun Aloysius to six months in prison for his involvement in the Central Bank bond fraud.
Arjun Aloysius, the director of WM Mendis, has been sentenced to six months in prison for tax evasion. He was accused of failing to pay 3.5 billion rupees in VAT owed to the government.
On the 16th, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court rejected a request to grant bail to Arjun Aloysius and two others from the M. Mendis company.
The lawyer representing the respondents requested that the defendants be released on bail; however, the court rejected this request.
The VAT mentioned refers to the tax already paid by the public to the government. While the relevant business organisations should collect this tax on behalf of the government and submit it to the local revenue department, Arjuna Aloysius has failed to do so. Additionally, he is accused of bond fraud, which is a serious offence.
People’s expectations
Central Bank employees have been accused of involvement in bond scams. Internal disciplinary measures are being taken against them, and steps have been initiated to suspend these employees.
Under the new government, a separate investigation into the central bank bond scam has been initiated. The current President is responsible for ensuring that the individual responsible, former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran, is brought back to Sri Lanka.
This will allow for a proper investigation and the commencement of the legal process.
It’s important to recognise that the public expects justice for various economic crimes that have yet to be addressed.
