The statement is signed by Attorney at law Neville Ananda, Social activist - Muditha Karunamuni, Journalist - Kusal Perera, Trade union leader - Anton Marcus, Academic of the University of Ruhuna - Dr. Indi Akurugoda, Public Interest activist - Amrit Muttukumaru, Attorney at law - Srinath Perera and Agriculture consultant & Community Development activist.

‘We read with much concern the "exposure" made in the DailyFT of 15 September and again in Sunday Times of 18 September 2016 (in political column) on PM Wickramasinghe's proposal to the cabinet of ministers to contract out a serious part of the responsibility of governance to McKinsey & Co, a foreign private company based in the US,’ the statement says.

Noting that the PM ‘implies not too vaguely, his men in the cabinet cannot meet up to such a task,’ the statement adds, ‘What the PM effectively says is that his 47 ministers with 45 Deputy and State Ministers though heavily paid and sustained by the people, cannot do any of it. In our language, he and his team CANNOT GOVERN this country! He thus needs to hire McKinsey for a sum of US $ 2.3 million (Rs.333.5 million as at today) to do work that goes beyond that of hiring "expertise" for institutional development.’

Questioning how ‘the PM could decide on his own to hand this contract to McKinsey and Company,’ the statement further says, ‘From what is reported, terms and conditions for this contract had been decided between the PM and McKinsey. He has not adhered to accepted procedure in hiring international agencies with public
money. Thus making him no different to Nivad Cabraal and Sajin Vass Gunawardene contracting US publicity companies during the Rajapaksa regime. This smells rotten with Inland Revenue Department sources claiming the same McKinsey Company is being contracted by this government for revenue collection. It is also pertinent to add here, McKinsey & Co. is not without questions on its integrity after convictions of its former MD and a Senior Partner for insider trading linked to Galleon Hedge Fund of Raj Rajaratnam.

‘We therefore call upon PM Wickramasinghe to immediately make his proposal on the CPMU public for social dialogue and scrutiny as per Part I Section 3.1 and Part III Section 9.1(a) of the RTI Act No.12 of 2016 now in force. Let us add in conclusion, this society can afford to spend a few months discussing his proposal than allow it a hurried passage through parliament without any knowledge as to what it would leave for the future,’ the collective says.

The complete statement is shown below :