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/