Business integrity virtual roundtable / Indonesia local content preference / Malaysia MACC chief interview

Business Integrity Trends in Asia-Pacific: Beyond the Covid-19 Crisis (Virtual roundtable).  This session on 31 March at 13:00 (GMT+7) will bring together representatives from different sectors to discuss examples and exchanges ideas about innovative anti-corruption initiatives that can help companies from big to small, weather the damages of the pandemic and maximize the impact of their companies by doing business with integrity. Register via the link below.

OECD: https://meetoecd1.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aKJIzd7kTIS9AvVRK_iB9A   

 

Local products come first (Editorial).  “These policy instruments are designed to enforce the government policy of local content requirements for the various segments of the manufacturing sector…The next concern is how the government will ensure that competition between domestic suppliers who benefit from the local content requirement is fair and transparent, not exploited by brokers in collusion with corrupt officials.”

The Jakarta Post: https://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2021/03/20/local-products-come-first.html  

 

Nothing stops MACC’s fight against corruption (Interview).  “MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Azam Baki, who has served the agency for 36 years, views fighting corruption among civil servants as particularly important as he wants to ensure the country’s post-pandemic economic recovery is not hampered by leakages in public funds.”

Nik Mazwin Nik Anis/The Star: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/focus/2021/03/28/nothing-stops-maccs-fight-against-corruption

Philippines vaccine line skipping / Indonesia Jokowi's contradictions / Malaysia Digital Economy Corp pledge

DOH wants vaccine line-jumpers punished; 5 mayors must explain.  “According to [Interior Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III], local officials who skip the line can be prosecuted for violating the graft and corrupt practices law.

Dexter Cabalza and Patricia Denise M. Chiu/Inquirer: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1411062/doh-wants-vaccine-line-jumpers-punished-5-mayors-must-explain  

 

Jokowi’s contradictions and the struggle to remake Indonesia (Commentary).  “Lauded as an outsider who would shake up the corrupt, nepotistic system, he has become the consummate transactional politician, with his once-shy family even following him into politics.”

Ben Bland/Lowy Institute: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/jokowi-s-contradictions-and-struggle-remake-indonesia    

 

MDEC signs declaration of corruption-free pledge, commits to strong corporate governance.  “The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation…today signed the Declaration of Corruption-Free Pledge with Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission…reaffirming its commitment towards creating an agile and transparent organisation practicing a high level of corporate governance.”

Digital News Asia: https://www.digitalnewsasia.com/digital-economy/mdec-signs-declaration-corruption-free-pledge-commits-strong-corporate-governance

India anti-corruption economy boost / Wildlife corruption / Myanmar corrupt timber

Decline in corruption gave 100bps boost to India's GDP in 2012-18: SBI Ecowrap.  “India's economic growth increased 100 basis points (bps) between FY13 and FY19, courtesy a 16 point improvement in its ranking on corruption perception Index, a report [Ecowrap report by State Bank of India] shows”

Business Today: https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/decline-in-corruption-gave-100bps-boost-to-india-gdp-in-2012-18-sbi-ecowrap/story/434557.html  

 

Tackling corruption in a time of crisis.  “Corruption can be systemic in countries where illegal harvest is common. Serious allegations of bribery and fraud occur at all levels of governance; from issuance of harvest permits, to officials checking trucks at checkpoints, to government ministers with authority over all stages of the production and transport of wildlife products.”

Willow Outhwaite/TRAFFIC: https://www.traffic.org/news/tackling-corruption-in-a-time-of-crisis/  

 

Report: Myanmar’s Dirty Timber Entering EU.  “Myanmar’s lucrative timber trade continues to be mired in criminality and corruption, including systematic tax evasion worth millions of dollars by companies exporting teak wood to European markets, according to a report published”

Alessandro Ford/Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project: https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/14079-report-myanmar-s-dirty-timber-entering-eu  

Corruption impact on COVID response / India anti-corruption policies / China anti-corruption campaign's uses

REMINDER: Impact of corruption and integrity on COVID-19 response and recovery (Virtual event).  The virtual interactive circle today at 9PM (GMT +8) will will reflect on the COVID-19 pandemic in the past year from the perspective of anti-corruption and integrity, and discuss the various strategies undertaken by governments, civil society, international organizations and the donor community in integrating anti-corruption in and beyond COVID-19 response and recovery. This session is organized by UNDP, Knowledge Partner of the virtual 2021 OECD Global Anti-Corruption & Integrity Forum.

OECD: https://oecd-events.org/gacif2021/session/26285452-3c80-eb11-b566-000d3a20ecf5 

 

Anti-Corruption and Anti-Bribery Policy and Compliances- India.  “In recent years, anti-bribery and anti-corruption regime [in India] went through a massive change…The change in attitudes towards corruption and corporate responsibility movements has also heightened business awareness of the obligations and risks posed, and made it imperative for organizations to question what they are doing to address bribery and corruption issues in the organization.”

Rupin Chopra and Nihit Nagpal/Lexology: https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=17995ca9-d1cb-4b0e-8a31-e248d87344be  

 

The Many Uses of Xi Jinping’s Anticorruption Campaign (Blog). “Since Chinese President Xi Jinping launched his anticorruption campaign in 2012, much of the foreign commentary has debated the extent to which the campaign is a genuine effort to root out corruption or a means for purging or undermining President Xi’s political opponents. This simple framing, however, obscures the other uses and objectives of the anticorruption campaign.”

Steven Wang/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2021/03/19/the-many-uses-of-xi-jinpings-anticorruption-campaign/  

UNDP gender event recording / Philippines IT procurement case / Malaysia protection racket

Gender Diversity for a Fair Business Environment (Event recording).  On International Women’s Day (8 March) UNDP in Asia and the Pacific’s high-level panel discussed how business integrity goes well beyond anti-corruption compliance, and touches upon diversity, inclusion and gender equal leadership. The event recording can be accessed via the link below. At the event, we also launched our new report, Gender Diversity and Inclusion for a Fair Business Environment: An ASEAN Narrative”.

Direct link to report: https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/democratic-governance/gender-diversity-and-inclusion-for-a-fair-business-environment.html

UNDP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qHQ7AQLGRA&ab_channel=FairBizASEAN  

 

Former Sorsogon governor convicted of graft.  “The Sandiganbayan [Philippine anti-graft court] convicted former Sorsogon [province] Gov. Raul Lee [to 12 years’ imprisonment] over the irregular purchase of computers, software and other equipment in 2005…He was also barred from holding public office.”

Nikka G. Valenzuela/Inquirer: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1408340/former-sorsogon-governor-convicted-of-graft  

 

Crackdown on protection racket.  “A syndicate offering protection to errant lorry drivers has been smashed with the arrest of its members, most of them Road Transport Department (JPJ) officers. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will be casting a wider net to nab other suspects including more JPJ personnel who allegedly accepted bribes to protect lorry operators who committed traffic offences.”

Mazwin Nik Anis, Ivan Loh, Rsn Murali and N. Trisha/The Star: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/03/17/crackdown-on-protection-racket

TI 2030 strategy / Corruption and climate resilience / Anti-corruption for health

Eyes on 2030: Holding power to account for the common good (Blog).  “It is timely that this year we launch our Strategy 2030: Holding Power to Account for the Common Good. It is a strategy dedicated to leading the next decade’s fight against corruption by showing what it will take to achieve a more positive future for all.”

Delia Ferreira Rubio and Rueben L. Lifuka/Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/blog/eyes-on-2030-holding-power-to-account-for-the-common-good  

 

The corruption link (Opinion).  “Corruption reduces the efficacy of investments on climate resilience. It contributes to the climate vulnerability of voters, consumers and citizens at large, particularly the poor, women and minorities…Corruption and political capture not only limits the quality of decision-making, it also obstructs effective climate actions and the strength of related institutions.”

Ali Tauqeer Sheikh/Dawn: https://www.dawn.com/news/1612992  

 

Ensuring health impact whilst tackling corruption (Virtual event).  This session explores the potential pitfalls of commonly used fiduciary controls, and it outlines the benefits of applying a risk-based methodology that helps drive the focus on delivering the public health objective of saving lives. This session is organised by the Coalition for Accountability, Transparency and Anti-Corruption in Health (CATCH) which is composed of WHO, UNDP, World Bank and Global Fund, as part of the virtual 2021 OECD Global Anti-Corruption & Integrity Forum.

OECD: https://oecd-events.org/gacif2021/session/5e3241fb-e680-eb11-b566-000d3a20ecf5  

Thank you to Aurélie Paviza, World Health Organization for sharing this learning opportunity.

Corruption impact on COVID-19/ Beneficial ownership in procurement / TI priorities podcast

Impact of corruption and integrity on COVID-19 response and recovery (Virtual event).  This workshop will discuss the impact of corruption and integrity on COVID-19 response and recovery, and the importance of integrating anti-corruption in and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. This session is organized by UNDP, Knowledge Partner of the virtual 2021 OECD Global Anti-Corruption & Integrity Forum.

OECD: https://oecd-events.org/gacif2021/session/26285452-3c80-eb11-b566-000d3a20ecf5  

 

Beneficial ownership data in procurement (Policy brief).  [Beneficial Ownership (BO) data improves public procurement processes and objectives [in the following ways]: Prevent fraud and corruption by helping detect potential signs of bid-rigging and conflicts of interest; Improve service delivery through competition…Oversight, verification and accountability by civil society and the public…improving the business environment, allowing companies to use BO data to manage and reduce risk in their own due diligence and other [anti-money laundering] processes.

Open Ownership: https://www.openownership.org/uploads/OO%20BO%20Data%20in%20Procurement.pdf   

 

Democracy that Delivers Episode #250: Anti-Corruption’s Past, Present, & Future with Transparency International Chair Delia Ferreira (Podcast/Blog).  “Listen to Ferreira share TI’s priorities during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, her suggestions for global businesses that she sees increasingly willing to adopt social and community-minded approaches, and what she would do if TI was awarded an extra $50 million in funding this year.”

Frank Brown and Ken Jaques/Center for International Private Enterprise: https://www.cipe.org/blog/2021/03/12/democracy-that-delivers-episode-250-anti-corruptions-past-present-future-with-transparency-international-chair-delia-ferreira/  

Pacific Anti-Corruption Updates (20 March 2021): Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Fiji

SOLOMON ISLANDS

Right to Information and Freedom of Speech are Key Tools for Good Governance. The virtual information session is part of the UN Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption (UN-PRAC) project, a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) joint project… The participants and speakers had a chance to exchange their experiences on establishing and implementing ‘Right to Information’ with the Integrity Institutions and the Office of Prime Minister.  

https://www.solomontimes.com/news/right-to-information-and-freedom-of-speech-are-key-tools-for-good-governance/10711

 

COOK ISLANDS

High profile corruption case underway in the Cook Islands.  A high profile corruption case is underway in the Cook Islands involving the current prime minister Mark Brown and his predecessor Henry Puna. Both men are being accused of fraud and misusing public money.                 https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/2018787944/high-profile-corruption-case-underway-in-the-cook-islands

 

FIJI

Simpson: Anti-Fijian to be corrupt.  Land Transport Authority CEO Samuel Simpson says it is anti-Fijian to be corrupt or to participate in corrupt practices. He made the remark at the ‘I don’t accept bribes’ campaign training conducted at the LTA headquarters in Suva.

https://www.fijitimes.com/simpson-anti-fijian-to-be-corrupt/

Underpinning asset declarations / Global finance transparency / India army recruitment

Human Rights Court underpins asset declarations with legal certainty (Blog).  “In particular the following points stand out from a new judgement: The right to privacy may not even apply to checking inexplicable wealth of a public official. Based on ‘preliminary findings’ of inexplicable wealth, the burden of proof may shift to the official ‘in order to prove the contrary’. A financial check, as grounds for a dismissal, can go back decades. Furthermore, the Court reflected for the first time on a methodology for calculating inexplicable wealth. To this end, it applied the cash-flow method.”

Tilman Hoppe/On Matters Constitutional: https://verfassungsblog.de/money-talks/ 

Thank you to Dr. Tilman Hoppe for sharing his blog.

 

We must clean up global finance to ‘build back better’ (Opinion).  “Key to combating corrupt and corrosive finance is ending the secrecy that favours it. The UN [Financial Accountability Transpanrecy & Integrity] panel calls for all countries to have central registries, ideally public, of beneficial ownership information for ‘all legal vehicles’”

Martin Sandbu/Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/34aa12d7-fb32-4186-9c73-4bfb2f248265    

 

Army detects corrupt practices in officers' selection procedure, hands over case to CBI.  “Based on a proactive operation by Army intelligence agencies, a case of possible malpractice in selection procedures at a centre has come to light. Since the scope of investigation involves multiple agencies including civil entities, the Indian Army has decided to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation.”

Times Now: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/army-detects-corrupt-practices-in-officers-selection-procedure-hands-over-case-to-cbi/732213

Political finance risks from advertisement / Pakistan political corruption / Bangladesh corruption and political settlements

New Transparency International report makes five global recommendations for regulating online political advertising.  “A new [TI] report…identifies critical risks to the integrity of political financing posed by online advertising and makes five recommendations to policymakers worldwide…1. Bring regulation into the digital era…2. Ensure authentic political messaging…3.Hold platforms accountable for ad transparency…4. Raise the bar for financial reporting…5. Restrict microtargeting and enhance standards for trading personal data.

Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/press/new-transparency-international-report-makes-five-global-recommendations-for-regulating-online-political-advertising  

 

Political parties need serious introspection (Opinion). “Merely parroting that opposition leaders are corrupt to the core demoralises the nation and raises doubts about the efficacy of democracy creating space for greater influence of the military, judiciary and bureaucracy. It is paradoxical the way corruption is being presented by the PM as though it is confined only to the political class…[Rather, it] exists practically across all major elected and unelected institutions and power centres.”

Talat Masood/The Express Tribune: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2288437/political-parties-need-serious-introspection  

 

Corruption and political settlements (Podcast).  “Dan Banik speaks with Mashtaq Khan on whether definitions of corruption matter, the relationship between corruption and economic performance, and the impact of efforts to combat corruption in Bangladesh”

SOAS-ACE: https://ace.soas.ac.uk/podcast-corruption-and-political-settlements/

Indonesia KPK dire conditions / Corruption deadlier than COVID / Malaysia contractor bribery

Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission in dire straits (Opinion).  “Rivalry among judges in the Constitutional Court may lead to revocation of some minor parts of the new [Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)] law, but political control exercised over the KPK by Jokowi and Megawati’s ruling coalition will not be weakened in the current term. Control over the KPK only looks set to intensify as a feature of Indonesia’s intra-elite contestation.”

Jeremy Mulholland and Zainal Arifin Mochtar/East Asia Forum: https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2021/03/16/indonesias-corruption-eradication-commission-in-dire-straits/   

 

Corruption is deadlier than COVID-19 (Opinion).  “That money could have also been used for vaccines against COVID-19, which has already killed more than 12,000 people…However, COVID-19 has several vaccines already being made available to boost people’s immunity. Unfortunately there is no vaccine for corruption, and thus it can be deadlier than COVID-19.”

Rufa Cagoco-Guiam/Inquirer: https://opinion.inquirer.net/138496/corruption-is-deadlier-than-covid-19  

 

MACC nab oil and gas firm manager, wife over RM3.4m bribery, money laundering; cash used to buy luxury cars.  “According to [a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission] source, the couple is suspected of accepting bribes from several contractors in exchange for oil pump construction projects from 2017 to 2019.”

Malay Mail: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/14/macc-nab-oil-and-gas-real-estate-company-manager-wife-over-rm3.4m-bribery-m/1957805  

Myanmar leaders charged / Thailand overseas trial / Japan officials ethics code

Myanmar Junta Lobs Corruption Claim at Senior NLD Leaders.  “[Military spokesman] Zaw Min Tun claimed that Myanmar’s Anti-Corruption Commission, now stacked with junta appointees, was investigating senior NLD officials for possible financial crimes.”

Sebastian Strangio/The Diplomat: https://thediplomat.com/2021/03/myanmar-junta-lobs-corruption-claim-at-senior-nld-leaders/    

 

Thai woman now in California over huge Navy corruption case.  “A former executive for a Singapore-based defense contractor linked to a sweeping corruption scandal that cost the [US] Navy some $35 million appeared…in a California courtroom to face federal charges.”

Associated Press: https://apnews.com/article/san-diego-asia-leonard-francis-california-classified-information-ded6f009a3d46ad8e0115db1e2ad5127    

 

Japan's ethics code for officials in focus as dining scandal rumbles on.  “Recent revelations that senior communications ministry officials were lavishly wined and dined by Seigo Suga, the eldest son of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, and other officials at a broadcasting firm have revived concerns and criticism about the ethics of bureaucrats, and questions about what constitutes a proper relationship between civil servants and those they oversee.”

Eric Johnston/The Japan Times: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/03/12/national/corruption-ethics-seigo-suga-explainer/   

Indonesia COVID corruption risk / Bangladesh complaints unattended / Japan senior official scandal

Urgency of COVID-19 exacerbates corruption risk in Indonesia, says deputy chair of anti-graft commission.  “In an exclusive interview with CNA, Mr Nurul Ghufron noted that COVID-19 has prompted the government to loosen regulations and bypass procedures in order to procure health equipment quickly as well as to roll out incentives and social aid in a timely manner.”

Nivell Rayda/ChannelNews Asia: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/indonesia-corruption-commission-kpk-covid19-manipulation-14360582  

 

Maximum corruption complaints remain unattended.  “Although a total of 21,371 allegations were submitted to [Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission] in the year 2019, the commission approved only 1,710 allegations for enquiry and it did not put forth the remaining 19,661 allegations, according to the ACC annual report published recently”

Muhammad Yeasin/The Independent: https://www.theindependentbd.com/post/259936  

 

Senior official close to Suga ousted from job in ethics scandal.  “Yasuhiko Taniwaki, who was dismissed as a vice minister for policy coordination at the ministry, very likely violated Japan’s ethics code for government officials by accepting the meals, worth a total of about ¥107,000 ($987), on three occasions between September 2018 and July 2020.”

The Japan Times: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/03/08/national/politics-diplomacy/ethics-scandal-taniwaki/

Call for papers - anticorruption data analytics / Spirit of China in Cambodia / Apple anti-corruption policy

Call for Papers: Data Analytics for Anticorruption in Public Administration.  “The Governance Global Practice (GGP) of the World Bank is developing data analytic tools to enhance the analysis and measurement of corruption as part of its new Anticorruption Initiatives…The research program encompasses three phases of activities: a call for papers; a symposium; and a special collection of articles in Data & Policy, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by Cambridge University Press.” Abstract submission deadline: Monday 15 March 2021

World Bank: https://www.worldbank.org/en/events/2020/12/10/call-for-papers-data-analytics-for-anti-corruption#3  

 

The Spirit of China in Cambodia (Blog). “Business connections between ‘old’ Chinese (descendants of migrants who came to Cambodia during the French protectorate to engage in commerce, some whom have strong connections with the current urban elites) and the new Chinese influx are now oiling the machinery of Cambodia’s long-standing domestic system of patronage.”

Alexandra Kent/New Mandala: https://www.newmandala.org/the-spirit-of-china-in-cambodia/   

 

Benchmarking Alert: Here’s Apple’s full anti-corruption policy (Blog).  “[Apple’s] anti-corruption policy includes some interesting details…1. A complete ban on facilitating payments…2…Three red flags to look out for when it comes to third parties…3. An expansive view of who is a public official…4. A country-by-country chart for meal limits for public officials…5. Travel expenses for public officials are allowed, but they all have to be pre-approved.”

Henry Cassin/The FCPA Blog: https://fcpablog.com/2021/03/01/benchmarking-alert-heres-apples-full-anti-corruption-policy/

Philippines economic freedom / Indonesia infrastructure projects / Thailand transparency assessments

The powerful escaping crime hurt Philippines' economic freedom.  “Corruption, bureaucratic red tape, and preferential treatment of the powerful compounded increasing trade barriers to pull down the Philippines in the latest annual gauge of economic freedom. The country dropped three places to rank 73rd out of 184 nations included in the Heritage Foundation’s Economic Freedom Index this year”

Ian Nicolas Cigaral/Philstar: https://www.philstar.com/business/2021/03/04/2081950/powerful-escaping-crime-hurt-philippines-economic-freedom  

 

Indonesian governor’s arrest in road project points to more tainted contracts.  “Environmental activists are calling on [Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)] to expand the investigation to include other infrastructure projects approved by Nurdin [the governor of South Sulawesi province, arrested for alleged corruption in an upcoming road project in the province]”

Wahyu Chandra/Mongabay: https://news.mongabay.com/2021/03/indonesian-governors-arrest-in-road-project-points-to-more-tainted-contracts/  

 

Where is Thailand’s Transparency?.  “[Both Corruption Perception Index and Thailand’s own Integrty and Transparency Assessments] recommend that Thailand emphasise and build on public information disclosure and accessibility, especially in regard to government procurement, so as to prevent bribery and other conflict of interest issues among public officials.”

Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/pr/2079007/where-is-thailands-transparency-  

China entrepreneurs crackdown / Corruption victims compensation / Philippines president's priority

How China's Massive Corruption Crackdown Snares Entrepreneurs Across The Country (Feature).  “President Xi Jinping launched the campaign in 2018 with the slogan "Saohei chu'e," meaning "sweep away black and eliminate evil."… The saohei campaign has also overlapped with an unusual number of arrests of wealthy businessmen.”

Emily Feng/NPR: https://www.npr.org/2021/03/04/947943087/how-chinas-massive-corruption-crackdown-snares-entrepreneurs-across-the-country   

Why Do So Few Corruption Victims Seek Compensation? (Blog).  “Why, despite the prevalence of corruption, the damage it has wreaked, and the worldwide attention it has drawn, have so few corruption victims sought redress. I hypothesize three factors are to blame: courts’ narrow reading of legal doctrine, especially that governing causation for harm…shortcomings in procedure, and in some countries the threat violent retaliation.”

Richard Messick/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2021/03/03/why-do-so-few-corruption-victims-seek-compensation/  

 

President to fight drugs, corruption in last months.  “[The Philippine] President Rodrigo R. Duterte…assured the public that he would dedicate his remaining months in office to eradicate illegal drugs and corruption in the government.”

Manila Standard: https://manilastandard.net/news/national/348761/president-to-fight-drugs-corruption-in-last-months.html  

Indonesia former KPK supervisory board / New KickBack podcast episode / Pakistan local govenrment accountability board

Artidjo Alkostar Once Explain the Difficulties of Sentencing Death on Corruptors.  “Former member of [Indonesia’s] Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) supervisory board Artidjo Alkostar passed away at the age of 72 years old…Many people active in the anti-graft movement would testify that Alkostar’s name itself would menace corruptors in Indonesia as he would seek to punish graft suspects severely.”

Tempo: https://en.tempo.co/read/1437489/artidjo-alkostar-once-told-the-difficulties-of-sentencing-death-on-corruptors   

 

New Podcast, Featuring Diana Chigas and Cheyanne Scharbatke-Church (Blog/Podcast).  “In this week’s episode [of KickBack: The Global Anticorruption Podcast]…[after] describing how they came to a focus on corruption from a background in conflict resolution and peace-building, Professors Chigas and Scharbatke-Church [at Tufts University] describe the “systems analysis” approach that they use when evaluating and planning anticorruption interventions.”

Matthew Stephenson/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2021/03/02/new-podcast-featuring-diana-chigas-and-cheyanne-scharbatke-church/  

 

LG&CD dept establishes accountability board.  “[In Pakistan,] Punjab Local Government and Community Development (LG&CD) department has set up an accountability board for the first time. In addition to this, the department has sought a report on the master plan from its subsidiaries.”

The Express Tribune: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2286713/lgcd-dept-establishes-accountability-board

Indonesia graft suspects vaccinated / EITI disclosure for anti-corruption / COVID-19 vaccine transparency

Anger as graft suspects, lawmakers’ families get vaccinated.  “The [Corruption Eradication Commission] is currently holding 61 graft suspects in detention centers at and near its headquarters in South Jakarta. According to the commission’s statement, 39 detainees received their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, including former Cabinet ministers Juliari Batubara and Edhy Prabowo.”

Marchio Irfan Gorbiano/The Jakarta Post: https://www.thejakartapost.com/paper/2021/02/28/anger-as-graft-suspects-lawmakers-families-get-vaccinated.html   

 

How Can Anticorruption Actors Use EITI Disclosures? (Report). “As the [Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative] considers how it can more effectively play a role in addressing corruption, the authors of this report aim to shed light on how EITI’s current reporting can help oversight actors understand and address corruption risks…Based on a review of EITI documents from 17 countries, the authors identify trends in how reporting presents corruption-related information”

National Resource Governance Institute: https://resourcegovernance.org/analysis-tools/publications/how-can-anticorruption-actors-use-eiti-disclosures 

 

COVID-19 Vaccine Transparency.  “Corruption risks vary from a lack of transparency over the prices paid for COVID-19 vaccines by governments and the confidentiality of those contracts with drug companies to broader issues of access that affect who gets vaccinated and when.”

Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/news/covid-19-vaccine-transparency  

Gender diversity for fair business / Malaysia anti-corruption laws / Financial transparency for SDGs

Gender Diversity for a Fair Business Environment (Virtual event).  A fair business environment will only be achieved when barriers that women face to access and thrive in the workplace are removed. Join UNDP and the distinguished speakers on Monday 8 March at 16:00 (GMT+7) to hear their stories as business leaders in ASEAN of companies at the forefront of diversity and inclusion, members of women’s business associations, and government representatives. Register via the link below.

UNDP: https://undp.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LnnE_yHTQ9-B6qoLdPlDUA

 

Are Malaysia’s Anti-Corruption Laws Outdated? (Opinion).  “It’s high time that Malaysia’s anti-corruption laws, particularly in respect of the MACC Act (2009), be further improved to strengthen the hand of the MACC and promote an anti-corruption culture in the country...the Elections Act (1958) should be amended to require political parties and candidates to disclose their donors as well as limit campaign contributions.”

Jason Loh/The ASEAN Post: https://theaseanpost.com/article/are-malaysias-anti-corruption-laws-outdated

 

Financial transparency, ‘sound governance and accountability’ essential to reach Global Goals.  “In the Financial Integrity for Sustainable Development report, the FACTI Panel recommends that governments finance critical action on extreme poverty, COVID-19 and the climate crisis by recovering billions of dollars lost through tax abuse, corruption and money-laundering.”

UN News: https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/02/1085752

FACTI recommendation as blueprint / Communist anti-corruption campaigns / CPI reform nudge

UN FACTI Panel report should serve as blueprint for global anti-corruption action (Press Release).  “The report published…by the UN High Level Panel on International Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity (FACTI Panel) lays out a clear vision for a cooperative international framework to combat corruption, tax evasion, money laundering and other financial crimes. It is imperative that this is converted into action by the international community.”

Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/press/un-facti-panel-report-blueprint-for-global-anti-corruption-action    

 

Why Communist Anti-Corruption Campaigns Never Work (Opinion).  “Because they are inherently top-down and focused on curing individuals of the natural impulse towards graft in a system that is irremediably extractive, they’ll either run out of steam once their proponents retire from office or run out of victims unless, as [General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong] put it, the vase is to be broken to catch all the mice.”

David Hutt/The Diplomat: https://thediplomat.com/2021/02/why-communist-anti-corruption-campaigns-never-work/  

 

Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index falls short of nudging govts to undertake reforms (Opinion).  “The CPI will be meaningful when understood in the national context and alongside other indices such as Global Corruption Barometer, Press Freedom Index, and Rule of Law Index etc. To conclude, the CPI generates short-lived hype/hysteria but rarely prompts a Pygmalion effect.”

Mallika Mahajan and Pawan Kumar Sinha/The Indian Express: https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/transparency-internationals-corruption-perception-index-falls-short-of-nudging-governments-to-undertake-reforms-7203344/

FACTI Panel report / Philippines mayor wins US award / IACA mutual legal assistance course

UN Panel: End financial abuses to save people and planet (Press release and Report).  “Governments can finance critical action on extreme poverty, COVID-19 and the climate crisis and by recovering the billions of dollars lost through tax abuse, corruption and money-laundering, says a UN panel. The High-Level Panel on International Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity for Achieving the 2030 Agenda (FACTI Panel) is calling on governments to agree to a Global Pact for Financial Integrity for Sustainable Development.”

Direct link to the report: https://www.factipanel.org/report

FACTI: https://www.factipanel.org/press-release/un-panel-end-financial-abuses-to-save-people-and-planet    

 

‘Denormalize corruption,’ says Vico Sotto after getting US State Department award.  ““Thank you to the US Department of State for this recognition. But more than the recognition, I hope this helps raise awareness. If we want better long-term governance, we need to fight corruption. We have to denormalize it, get it out of our culture,” Sotto said…after he was announced as one of the 12 recipients of the US State Department’s International Anti-Corruption Champion Award.”

Gabriel Pabico Lalu/The Inquirer: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1399898/denormalize-corruption-vico-sotto-hopes-citation-sparks-awareness-over-governance

 

International Anticorruption Academy Spring Course on Obtaining Mutual Legal Assistance (Blog).  “It is the rare corruption investigation today that does not cross one or more national boundaries…How to speed the process of obtaining evidence from another country while avoiding common missteps is the focus of a four-week, online course offered by the International Anticorruption Academy April 12 through May 8, 2021.”

Direct link to the course page for further details and registration: https://www.iaca.int/iaca-programmes/online-training/mutual-legal-assistance-mla.html

Richard Messick/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2021/02/24/international-anticorruption-academy-spring-course-on-obtaining-mutual-legal-assistance/