ICAC to launch new anti-corruption guides
2000-5-5
The ICAC is working on two sets of corruption prevention guides tailor-made respectively for the engineering and banking sectors, ICAC Commissioner Mr Alan Lai disclosed today (Friday) at a Chinese General Chamber of Commerce meeting.
The two new guides will add to a series of similar publications designed to assist organisations in devising ways and means to prevent corruption. Among them are practical guides for managerial staff of public bodies and financial practitioners.
Mr Lai said close co-operation between the ICAC and the business sector in the fight against corruption and the promotion of ethical management mirrored a substantial change in the business community ’ s attitude towards the ICAC and its anti-corruption work over the past decades --- from resistance to acceptance and from avoidance to participation.
Mr Lai revealed that the Commission planned to dispatch officers on an overseas study trip later this year to take stock of other countries ’ experience in the promotion of business ethics.
The ICAC was confident of a win-win situation through enhancement of its partnership with the business sector in raising business ethical standards, Mr Lai stressed.
He told the chamber ’ s committee member meeting that the ICAC ’ s Advisory Services Group, established under the Corruption Prevention Department, would be glad when approached to provide free and confidential corruption prevention advice, tailoring to the specific needs of individual private firms.
“ In general, a lack of documentary records, the absence of proper supervision and division of responsibilities, as well as inadequate procedural guidelines, are common corruption-prone areas found among private companies, ” Mr Lai noted.
He appealed to the business community to make full use of the ICAC ’ s free advisory service if a lack of experience or professional expertise had prevented them from striving for ethical management.
The Advisory Services Group, since its inception in 1985, has offered corruption prevention advice and assistance to more than 2,000 private companies of various trades. The Group pledges to respond within two working days to any request for its service.
In the face of intensifying globalisation of trade and the dazzling development of e-commerce, Mr Lai said the embracing of good business ethics was pivotal in staying competitive.
A survey conducted by the ICAC at the end of last year showed that 98 per cent of the responding companies agreed Hong Kong would gain business advantages from higher ethical standards. About 75 per cent of the respondents said they had implemented ethica l management programmes. Of them, 86 per cent believed these measures had helped reduce corruption, fraud and other malpractices.
The two new guides will add to a series of similar publications designed to assist organisations in devising ways and means to prevent corruption. Among them are practical guides for managerial staff of public bodies and financial practitioners.
Mr Lai said close co-operation between the ICAC and the business sector in the fight against corruption and the promotion of ethical management mirrored a substantial change in the business community ’ s attitude towards the ICAC and its anti-corruption work over the past decades --- from resistance to acceptance and from avoidance to participation.
Mr Lai revealed that the Commission planned to dispatch officers on an overseas study trip later this year to take stock of other countries ’ experience in the promotion of business ethics.
The ICAC was confident of a win-win situation through enhancement of its partnership with the business sector in raising business ethical standards, Mr Lai stressed.
He told the chamber ’ s committee member meeting that the ICAC ’ s Advisory Services Group, established under the Corruption Prevention Department, would be glad when approached to provide free and confidential corruption prevention advice, tailoring to the specific needs of individual private firms.
“ In general, a lack of documentary records, the absence of proper supervision and division of responsibilities, as well as inadequate procedural guidelines, are common corruption-prone areas found among private companies, ” Mr Lai noted.
He appealed to the business community to make full use of the ICAC ’ s free advisory service if a lack of experience or professional expertise had prevented them from striving for ethical management.
The Advisory Services Group, since its inception in 1985, has offered corruption prevention advice and assistance to more than 2,000 private companies of various trades. The Group pledges to respond within two working days to any request for its service.
In the face of intensifying globalisation of trade and the dazzling development of e-commerce, Mr Lai said the embracing of good business ethics was pivotal in staying competitive.
A survey conducted by the ICAC at the end of last year showed that 98 per cent of the responding companies agreed Hong Kong would gain business advantages from higher ethical standards. About 75 per cent of the respondents said they had implemented ethica l management programmes. Of them, 86 per cent believed these measures had helped reduce corruption, fraud and other malpractices.