{"id":106233,"date":"2013-09-19T10:48:29","date_gmt":"2013-09-19T05:18:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=106233"},"modified":"2013-09-23T00:10:05","modified_gmt":"2013-09-22T18:40:05","slug":"secret-budgets-and-massive-contracts-sri-lanka-falls-into-critical-risk-band-transparency-international","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/secret-budgets-and-massive-contracts-sri-lanka-falls-into-critical-risk-band-transparency-international\/","title":{"rendered":"Secret Budgets And Massive Contracts: Sri Lanka Falls Into \u2018Critical\u2019 Risk Band – Transparency International"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sri Lanka is placed in\u00a0\u2018critical\u2019 risk band with\u00a0Libya, Syria, Eretria, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Cote D\u2019Ivoire, DRC and Yemen by\u00a0Transparency International\u00a0UK\u2019s Defence and Security Programme (TI-DSP)<\/a><\/span>\u00a0new report.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Its new report \u2018Watchdogs?\u2019\u00a0measures legislative oversight of the defence sector in 82 countries worldwide, drawing on results from the 2013\u00a0Government Defence Anti-Corruption Index<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Each legislature\u00a0was scored<\/a><\/span>\u00a0in seven distinct categories based on findings from the Government Index and placed in one of six risk bands based on their scores. By assessing transparency and oversight practices related to budget, policy, auditing and intelligence services, the report measures how well legislatures exercise their deliberative, legislative and oversight powers over the defence sector.<\/p>\n

Of 82 legislatures, 52 were placed in \u2018high\u2019, \u2018very high\u2019, and \u2018critical\u2019 risk bands, while 14 were placed in the \u2018moderate\u2019 risk band and 12 placed into the \u2018low\u2019 risk band. Only four legislatures were placed in the \u2018very low\u2019 band, the lowest risk rating.<\/p>\n

“Most legislatures are failing voters by not acting as proper watchdogs of this huge sector. Whether the problems are due to the political environment, poor legislation, or poor commitment by parliamentarians, the good practice examples in this study can help them improve.\u201d says\u00a0TI-DSP Director,\u00a0Mark Pyman.<\/p>\n

Ti says; “By exercising strong and effective oversight over defence policy, procurement and the intelligence services, legislatures can ensure that the government acts in the public interest and hold their state executives to account.”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Former South African MP Andrew Feinstein shares his thoughts about parliamentary oversight in the defence sector.<\/p>\n