ICAC maintains efficiency in fighting graft through restructuring and re-prioritising tasks
2002-12-13
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) will continue to maintain efficiency in combating corruption through restructuring, re-prioritising tasks and maximising the use of information technology, while taking various measures to support the g overnment's efficiency savings programme.
Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Corruption (ACOC) Dr Raymond Ch'ien Kuo-fung told a media briefing today (Friday) that the ACOC supported the Commission's initiative to conduct an internal review, with a view to achieving savings through restructuri ng and natural staff wastage.
To streamline logistic support and administrative work, the ICAC's Operations Department will restructure the intelligence group, merge the witness protection and firearms section, and amalgamate the management and policy unit with the legal research unit , Dr Ch'ien said.
Meanwhile, the Corruption Prevention Department would re-prioritise its assignment studies to focus on examining procedures on the more corruption-prone areas in consultation with government departments.
On the educational front, Dr Ch'ien said that the Community Relations Department would redeploy its resources, contract out part of its media production work, and continue to tap community resources and enhance partnerships with district organisations, pr ofessional bodies and other interested parties in promoting anti-corruption messages.
Dr Ch'ien also noted that despite the rising workload, the conviction rate remained at a satisfactory level of 84 per cent in the first 11 months of 2002, while a major proportion of 71 per cent of corruption complaints were non-anonymous, reflecting a hi gh level of public confidence in the ICAC.
Co-hosting the annual media briefing today were Chairman of the Operations Review Committee (ORC) Anna Wu Hung-yuk; Chairman of the Corruption Prevention Advisory Committee (CPAC) Barry Cheung Chun-yuen; and Chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee on Community Relations (CACCR) Professor Cheng Kai-ming.
ORC Chairman, Ms Wu, noted that the ICAC received 4,076 corruption reports (excluding election reports) in the first 11 months of 2002. The figure represented a one per cent decrease but an increase of one per cent of pursuable reports, compared with the same period last year.
Of the 4,076 reports, 45 per cent or 1,826 were related to government departments and public bodies, with the number of complaints against government departments registering an increase of five per cent. The remaining 55 per cent or 2,250 reports were re lated to the private sector.
Ms Wu also disclosed that in the first 11 months of 2002, ORC had referred cases of misconduct involving 142 government employees to the administration for consideration of disciplinary or administrative action. In the same period of 2001, cases involvin g 179 government employees had been referred.
Ms Wu opined that the civil service was relatively clean and there was no indication of resurgence of syndicated corruption in government departments.
On private sector corruption, the building management sub-sector still commands the highest number of reports in the first 11 months of this year. Of the 747 reports received, the majority related to cases of a relatively minor nature expeditiously dealt with by the Quick Response Team.
Meanwhile, CPAC Chairman, Mr Cheung, pointed out that while there had been a number of ICAC cases involving government officers abusing their official position in the award of direct purchase contracts, the Commission had reviewed the procedures of some g overnment departments, and produced a best practice package to help them strengthen control.
As more government departments were committed to outsourcing their services, the ICAC would assist individual departments to establish effective control measures to ensure that providers of the services, who were no longer civil servants, would closely ad here to ethical practice, Mr Cheung said.
Given the large sums of public funds involved in the setting up of a number of government funds, the ICAC had also reviewed the management of government funds, and produced a best practice package on the subject, Mr Cheung said.
On the educational front, CACCR Chairman, Professor Cheng, noted that the Commission had actively responded to the committee's advice to intensify its efforts in promoting ethical practices in the business and public sectors, in view of the global concern s on the issue of corporate governance and integrity management.
Professor Cheng further revealed that the ICAC would target directors and executives of business organisations, professionals and business school students and graduates in promoting ethical practice and corporate management.
It would seek support from accountants and auditors in fostering ethical practices, and encourage tertiary institutions to make corporate governance a compulsory subject, Professor Cheng said.
A "Corporate Governance for the New Generation" Study Programme cum Youth Summit would be organised in March next year for tertiary students from Hong Kong, the Mainland, Singapore and Macau, Professor Cheng said.
Professor Cheng also noted that the Commission had continued to make use of the Internet to disseminate the anti-corruption messages to the public. Since a revamp last July, the ICAC corporate website had recorded 61.2 million hits while its Web-based Mo ral Education Teaching Resource Centre registered 2.4 million hits since its operation in May this year.
Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Corruption (ACOC) Dr Raymond Ch'ien Kuo-fung told a media briefing today (Friday) that the ACOC supported the Commission's initiative to conduct an internal review, with a view to achieving savings through restructuri ng and natural staff wastage.
To streamline logistic support and administrative work, the ICAC's Operations Department will restructure the intelligence group, merge the witness protection and firearms section, and amalgamate the management and policy unit with the legal research unit , Dr Ch'ien said.
Meanwhile, the Corruption Prevention Department would re-prioritise its assignment studies to focus on examining procedures on the more corruption-prone areas in consultation with government departments.
On the educational front, Dr Ch'ien said that the Community Relations Department would redeploy its resources, contract out part of its media production work, and continue to tap community resources and enhance partnerships with district organisations, pr ofessional bodies and other interested parties in promoting anti-corruption messages.
Dr Ch'ien also noted that despite the rising workload, the conviction rate remained at a satisfactory level of 84 per cent in the first 11 months of 2002, while a major proportion of 71 per cent of corruption complaints were non-anonymous, reflecting a hi gh level of public confidence in the ICAC.
Co-hosting the annual media briefing today were Chairman of the Operations Review Committee (ORC) Anna Wu Hung-yuk; Chairman of the Corruption Prevention Advisory Committee (CPAC) Barry Cheung Chun-yuen; and Chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee on Community Relations (CACCR) Professor Cheng Kai-ming.
ORC Chairman, Ms Wu, noted that the ICAC received 4,076 corruption reports (excluding election reports) in the first 11 months of 2002. The figure represented a one per cent decrease but an increase of one per cent of pursuable reports, compared with the same period last year.
Of the 4,076 reports, 45 per cent or 1,826 were related to government departments and public bodies, with the number of complaints against government departments registering an increase of five per cent. The remaining 55 per cent or 2,250 reports were re lated to the private sector.
Ms Wu also disclosed that in the first 11 months of 2002, ORC had referred cases of misconduct involving 142 government employees to the administration for consideration of disciplinary or administrative action. In the same period of 2001, cases involvin g 179 government employees had been referred.
Ms Wu opined that the civil service was relatively clean and there was no indication of resurgence of syndicated corruption in government departments.
On private sector corruption, the building management sub-sector still commands the highest number of reports in the first 11 months of this year. Of the 747 reports received, the majority related to cases of a relatively minor nature expeditiously dealt with by the Quick Response Team.
Meanwhile, CPAC Chairman, Mr Cheung, pointed out that while there had been a number of ICAC cases involving government officers abusing their official position in the award of direct purchase contracts, the Commission had reviewed the procedures of some g overnment departments, and produced a best practice package to help them strengthen control.
As more government departments were committed to outsourcing their services, the ICAC would assist individual departments to establish effective control measures to ensure that providers of the services, who were no longer civil servants, would closely ad here to ethical practice, Mr Cheung said.
Given the large sums of public funds involved in the setting up of a number of government funds, the ICAC had also reviewed the management of government funds, and produced a best practice package on the subject, Mr Cheung said.
On the educational front, CACCR Chairman, Professor Cheng, noted that the Commission had actively responded to the committee's advice to intensify its efforts in promoting ethical practices in the business and public sectors, in view of the global concern s on the issue of corporate governance and integrity management.
Professor Cheng further revealed that the ICAC would target directors and executives of business organisations, professionals and business school students and graduates in promoting ethical practice and corporate management.
It would seek support from accountants and auditors in fostering ethical practices, and encourage tertiary institutions to make corporate governance a compulsory subject, Professor Cheng said.
A "Corporate Governance for the New Generation" Study Programme cum Youth Summit would be organised in March next year for tertiary students from Hong Kong, the Mainland, Singapore and Macau, Professor Cheng said.
Professor Cheng also noted that the Commission had continued to make use of the Internet to disseminate the anti-corruption messages to the public. Since a revamp last July, the ICAC corporate website had recorded 61.2 million hits while its Web-based Mo ral Education Teaching Resource Centre registered 2.4 million hits since its operation in May this year.