Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has decided to establish a committee with wide powers directly under her instruction to deal with charges of bribery and corruption in the state sector, according to the Presidential Secretariat on Friday.

Kumaratunga announced the decision at a meeting with ministry secretaries at the President's House on Thursday.

She said that the establishment of such a body was deemed necessary as the Bribery and Corruption Commission was not functional.

People in the country were disappointed by acts of corruption and irregularities in the state sector, she added.

She urged the secretaries to submit a report of plans formulated for the year by each ministry as soon as possible.

The United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government has outlined a clear and well-planned strategy for developing the country and ministry secretaries have a major role to play in meeting those targets, she said.

The president noted that the secretaries should ensure that tender procedures and other transactions are conducted in an open and transparent manner.

Kumaratunga's UPFA defeated United National Party of former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in the April 2 parliamentary elections.

The UPFA had highlighted the corruption committed by some of the former ministers in their election campaign and vowed to form a clean government after its election victory.

Source: Xinhua