Procuring for life / NACC to investigate virus-aid misuse claim / Webinar Transparency, Accountability and Anti-Corruption during the Covid-19 Crisis Management and Response

Procuring for life. “Clean public procurement not only saves money, but most importantly, it saves lives by making sure the people who are most vulnerable receive the support they need. Yet, the ongoing global health crisis exposes vulnerabilities in public procurement: loose requirements that contribute to unequal competition and bidding wars and rushed measures that result in low quality or faulty goods, price gouging, undue influence and limited access to information.” 

 

Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/news/feature/procuring_for_life?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20week%20in%20corruption%201%20May%202020&utm_content=The%20week%20in%20corruption%201%20May%202020+CID_8a08905e54412649002cceca24519ad8&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=Procuring%20for%20Life 

 

 

(Thailand) NACC to investigate virus-aid misuse claim. “The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has found grounds to graft allegations against the Lamphun Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) over its budget spending of more than 16 million baht to buy essentials for the elderly during the Covid-19 pandemic. NACC secretary-general Warawit Sukboon said the Lamphun PAO spent 16.3 million baht buying a total of 27,700 sets of essential items for the elderly or 590 baht per set, though the items did not respond to the needs of the recipients, and were not worth the money spent.”  

 

Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1910160/nacc-to-investigate-virus-aid-misuse-claim 

 

 

Transparency, Accountability and Anti-Corruption during the Covid-19 Crisis Management and Response (Webinar). The webinar hosted by UNDP will feature cases from countries in different regions and partners Norad, OECD, Sida and UNOCD. Join us on May 5th at 8:30 AM (EST). 

 

UNDP Zoom: https://undp.zoom.us/j/98230221235?pwd=Sm5WV3hqaGp0SzNKalEyZnlnaGtKQT09  

KPK arrests in bribery case / Corporate profitability & the global persistence of corruption / CoST open consultation

KPK arrests Muara Enim council speaker in bribery case. “The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested South Sumatra’s Muara Enim Legislative Council speaker, Aries HB, naming him a suspect in a bribery case pertaining to public works and housing agency projects in the 2019 fiscal year. The antigraft body suspected Aries of accepting Rp 3.03 billion (US$195,473) in bribes between May and August last year from businessman Robi Okta Fahlevi as a commitment fee for 16 road construction projects in the regency worth Rp 130 billion.” 

 

Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie / Jakarta Post: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/04/28/kpk-arrests-muara-enim-council-speaker-in-bribery-case.html 

 

 

Corporate profitability and the global persistence of corruption (Opinion). “Corporation corruption is an issue that remains at the forefront of regulatory policy. This column examines the persistence of corruption among a sample of privately held firms from 12 Central and Eastern European countries. Creating a proxy for corporate corruption based on a firm’s internal inefficiency, it is suggested that corruption can enhance a firm’s overall profitability. A channel analysis reveals that inflating staff costs is the most common approach by which firms divert funds to finance corruption. Corruption may persist simply because of its ability to improve a firm’s return on assets.” 

 

Stephen P. Ferris / Jan Hanousek / Jiri Tresl/ Vox EU: https://voxeu.org/article/corporate-profitability-and-global-persistence-corruption 

 

 

CoST open consultation on plan to build stronger economies and improve lives. “CoST, the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative), has opened its new Business Plan 2020 – 2025 for public consultation until Monday 01 June 2020. The new plan outlines an ambitious programme of growth with a new Theory of Change, mission and vision and four strategic priorities to build stronger economies and improve lives. The process of developing the plan has involved a considerable investment of time and effort. Over the next month we invite you to contribute to key questions on the plan and its strategic priorities.” 

 

CoST: http://infrastructuretransparency.org/2020/04/27/cost-business-plan-2020-2025-building-stronger-economies-and-better-lives/