The ICAC released its Annual Report 2020 on 7 July 2021. The ICAC remained steadfast and continued to uphold the probity culture in the face of unprecedented adversities brought by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Fighting corruption amid of the pandemic

In 2020, the ICAC received 1,924 non-election related corruption complaints, a drop of 16 per cent when compared with 2019, which was likely caused by a substantial decline in economic activities during the pandemic and the public's preoccupation with other socio-economic issues. Despite the pandemic, the ICAC continued to take robust enforcement actions by pursuing each complaint and handling all investigations professionally and impartially.

The ICAC also made meticulous efforts in offering corruption prevention service. During the year, the ICAC completed 65 assignment reports on various areas related to public administration and issues of public interest or concern, and offered tailored corruption prevention advice on over 970 occasions to assist both public and private sectors in plugging the loopholes in their systems and procedures that might give rise to corrupt practices.

On the education front, the ICAC continued to reach the community and disseminate integrity messages to the public by adopting a flexible and resilient approach. By combining face-to-face outreach with online activities amidst social distancing measures, the Commission organised over 700 online-anti-corruption talks and training in 2020.

Noting that the Legislative Council Election and the Election Committee Subsector Election would be held in 2021, the ICAC would go all out to ensure the integrity of the elections and enforce the Elections (Corrupt & Illegal Conduct) Ordinance professionally and effectively.

International collaboration continues amid the pandemic

Meanwhile, the ICAC continued to collaborate with its international anti-graft counterparts via online platforms. Apart from organising online capacity building programmes for various overseas anti-corruption agencies, the Commission also participated in international webinars to share its graft-fighting experience. As an Executive Committee member and the Training Committee convenor of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), the ICAC proactively helped map out training initiatives for the IAACA.

The ICAC Annual Report 2020 is available at the ICAC's corporate website. (https://www.icac.org.hk/icac/annual-report/2020/).

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