scholarly journals Ethics into Practice: Holding Paramount Health, Safety & Welfare of the Public by Entrepreneurial Engineers in Sri Lanka

2021 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 87
Author(s):  
D. P. S. Wijesinghe ◽  
V. P. T. Jayawardane ◽  
S. W. S. B. Dasanayake
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Health Safety ◽  
The Public

Sri Lanka: Pandemic-Catalyzed Democratic Backsliding

2021 ◽  
pp. 349-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhavani Fonseka ◽  
Luwie Ganeshathasan ◽  
Asanga Welikala
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Comparative Politics ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
The Public ◽  
Comparative Constitutional Law ◽  
Front Line Workers ◽  
Public Health Challenge ◽  
Government Statistics

This chapter investigates Sri Lanka’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Covid-19 has posed for Sri Lanka not only a public health challenge and an economic challenge but also, perhaps most seriously, a crisis of constitutional democracy. Although questions have been raised about the accuracy of government statistics, the scale of testing and contact tracing, and failures in providing protective equipment to front-line workers including military personnel, there is broad public approval of the government’s crisis response. However, much more alarming are the clear signs in the government’s response that the public health emergency has provided the impetus for an aggressive executive takeover of the state, steepening the curve of de-democratization. The chapter then describes the aspects of the governmental crisis response that are the cause of worry, and offers an analysis based on a framework drawn from comparative politics and comparative constitutional law as to the agentic, institutional, and causal dimensions of the democratic backslide underway in Sri Lanka. While the pandemic has undoubtedly boosted the process of executive aggrandizement that had already commenced, this catalysis may in fact also shorten the authoritarian cycle, because the accelerated de-democratization is likely to result in executive actions that cross the threshold of public tolerance sooner in what as yet remains a procedural democracy.

Accounting Reforms for Accountable Public Sector Management

2020 ◽  
pp. 41-64
Author(s):  
Chitra Sriyani De Silva Lokuwaduge ◽  
Keshara M. De Silva Godage
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The Public ◽  
New Public ◽  
Public Sector Accounting

Accounting reforms in the public sector have become one of the most debated aspects of the public sector financial management during the last three decades. Following the steps of developed countries around the globe, Sri Lanka as a developing country made initiatives to adopt international public sector accounting standards (IPSAS). The purpose of this study is to analyse the progress and the challenges they face in adopting IPSAS as a new public management (NPM) reform in Sri Lanka to enhance public sector accountability. Public sector accounting reforms in the developing countries in Asia is relatively under researched. Using the NPM concept, this study attempts to fill this gap. This chapter argues that even though Sri Lanka has initiated the move towards adopting IPSAS, developing countries face practical problems in adopting reforms due to their contextual factors such as limited institutional capacity and resources, high political involvements in decision-making, and high informality.

scholarly journals The Muslims’ Quest for a Kalmunai Administrative District in South-Eastern Sri Lanka: An Analysis of the Challenges from Their Community and Politics

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
Mohammad Agus Yusoff ◽  
Athambawa Sarjoon
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Muslim Community ◽  
Administrative District ◽  
The Public ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Coastal Belt ◽  
The Government ◽  
Different Sources

The Muslim community living in the “South-Eastern Region” of Sri Lanka has long been urging the government authorities to establish a separate Kalmunai administrative district carved out of the coastal belt of the present Amparai district, as an institutional mechanism to improve public service delivery and development administration functions in the region. However, the establishment of the Kalmunai administrative district has continually been challenged, receiving criticism and oppositions from different sources, including from the Muslim community and its politicians. This study analyzes the perspectives of Muslim community and its politics towards the demand for the Kalmunai administrative district and its impacts on the political advocacy and methods to achieving it. This study has found that there are different and contradictory perspectives on the matter of the Kalmunai administrative district among the Muslim political parties and in different segments of the community. It is also discovered that the public understanding on the subject of the proposed district is very minimal. The establishment of the proposed Kalmunai administrative district has frequently failed on many crucial occasions mainly due to the lack of consensus among the Muslims leaders regarding the contested subjects of the proposed district. Additionally, this study has observed that the Muslim leaders have conceptualized the proposed Kalmunai district purely based on ethnicity only and have failed to justify it on public and rational grounds. The study has further found that the establishment of the proposed Kalmunai administrative district and its purported positive impacts would strongly depend on making the demand for the proposed district a more secular and public one.

scholarly journals Sri Lanka’s Quest for a Reformed Constitution: Lessons from a Lost Opportunity

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-308
Author(s):  
Austin I Pullé ◽  
Suri Ratnapala
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Constitutional Change ◽  
Constitutional History ◽  
Constitutional Democracy ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
Development Indicators ◽  
The Public ◽  
Military Involvement ◽  
History Of ◽  
Lost Opportunity

Abstract The history of Sri Lanka is highly instructive of the dynamics of constitutional evolution in a post-colonial, multi-ethnic, and economically challenged Asian nation. Sri Lanka is one of the few ex-colonies where constitutional change has happened without military involvement. Citizens have changed their government 10 times by generally fair and free elections. In the first three decades after independence, the country’s judiciary enjoyed an enviable reputation for independence, integrity, and competence. The public service, though poorly rewarded and resourced, maintained a praiseworthy standard of administrative impartiality and competence. Sri Lanka had, and still has, one of the highest rates of literacy in the developing world and scores creditably on human development indicators. Despite these impressive achievements, the country has a chequered record of constitutional government since independence. It has been ruled for long periods under emergency rule, and the nation’s two republican constitutions have a poor record of maintaining constitutional democracy and basic rights and freedoms. The nation’s most recent efforts at constitutional reform, despite some notable successes, have stalled as a consequence of hyper-partisanship and opportunistic political strategizing. This article examines the post-independence constitutional history of the nation, prognosticates its prospects of constitutional revival, and draws important lessons from the failure of the current constitutional project.

scholarly journals Perception of Government Accountants on Current Public Sector Accounting Practices and Implementation of Public Sector Accounting Standards in the Sri Lanka

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 76
Author(s):  
Vickneswaran Anojan
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Public Expenditure ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
The Public ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Public Sector Organizations ◽  
Public Sector Accounting ◽  
Accrual Basis ◽  
Assets Management

The main aim of the study is to find out the perception of government accountants on current public sector accounting practices and implementation of public sector accounting standards in the Sri Lanka. Public sector accounting practices involve with public expenditure, budget preparation, maintain proper accounting records, assets management, public financial management and provide reports on the public expenditure and revenue. Most of the public sector organizations do not prepare final accounts on accrual basis in the Sri Lanka. Primary data used in this study which data collected from government accountants in Sri Lanka. Mean analysis confirmed that there is moderate level of public sector accounting practices and implementation of public sector accounting standards in the Sri Lanka. Correlation analysis confirmed that there is significant relationship between public sector accounting practices and implementation of public sector accounting standards. Implementation of public sector accounting standards are positively impact on the public sector’s financial reporting practices and assets management practices in the Sri Lanka. Also below 23 percentage of public sector organizations are preparing final accounts on accrual basis. More than 97 percentage government accountants have ability to prepare annual accounts on accrual basis. Government administrators, policy makers and professional institutions should motivate effective and efficient implementation of the public sector accounting standards which will lead to a healthy public sector accounting practices in Sri Lanka. 

scholarly journals Dispensing of Banned Phenolphthalein and Ketoconazole: Simulated Patients Method

2021 ◽  
pp. 46-50
Author(s):  
Mohammed Alshakka ◽  
Wafa Badulla ◽  
Mohamed Izham Mohamed Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Simulated Patients ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Safety ◽  
The Public ◽  
Ease Of Access

Introduction: Banned and harmful medicines can affect patient’s health, safety and life.                    There are two medicines available in Aden community pharmacies (phenolphthalein (PP) and ketoconazole (KZ)) that are globally banned. The objective of this study was to evaluate the availability and dispensing of banned phenolphthalein and ketoconazole by community pharmacists. Methods: A preliminary cross-sectional simulated patients method was carried out. The study gathered data on dispensing behavior. Simulated patients were trained to access the availability of banned drugs existing in the community pharmacies. The availability of these two banned drugs was observed and recorded. The pharmacists were asked about the availability of a PP laxative for treating constipation called in Yemen a khat laxative (Sharbat Alkhat) and KZ for fungal infections in 50 convenient samples of community pharmacies that were selected based on ease of access by the simulated patients. Results: PP was found in 3/50 (6%) pharmacies, while 31/50 (62%) pharmacies kept KZ in the premise.  Conclusion: The availability of these drugs in Yemeni pharmacies is worrisome.  It can affect the safety of the public.

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