ICAC Commissioner Starts the “Listening” Drive
2001-7-17
The ICAC Commissioner, Mr Alan Lai, today (Tuesday) enjoyed an hour's chat with a group of licensed hawkers from the Western District and to listen to their views and comments on the work of the anti-corruption agency.
Today's meeting was the first of a planned series of face-to-face contact between the ICAC directorate and citizens from all walks of life as part of a continuing effort to enhance public understanding.
Mr Lai's tea reception for 14 representatives from the Western Licensed Hawker Friendly Association, led by its chairman Mr Ko Tai-hung, was held at the ICAC's Hong Kong West Regional Office this afternoon.
In the meet-the-public session, Mr Lai stressed that the ICAC relied on public support in the fight against corruption, especially those who were prone to the threat of corruption.
He noted street traders, because of the nature of their business, had been vulnerable prey to the corrupt and the unscrupulous before the anti-corruption body was established.
“Indeed, our very first API (announcement of public interest) in the 1970s was targeted at hawkers and encouraged them to come forward and reported on the corrupt in person,” Mr Lai noted.
While corruption in the trade had drastically reduced since, Mr Lai urged the hawker representatives to remain on the alert and report on any corrupt activities.
“ More importantly, I appeal to you to help press home the importance of non-anonymous reports, as this would increase substantially the chance of bringing the outlaws to justice,” he told the hawker representatives.
The meet-the-public programme is part of the ICAC's on-going community education drive and about 130 such sessions were held by its eight regional offices over the past two years, reaching more than 2000 citizens from all strata of the community.
Mr Lai said the programme had helped the ICAC tremendously in keeping pulse on the corruption trend and situations, as well as increasing the transparency of the Commission’s work.
Following today's session, other members of the ICAC directorate would take turn in participating in these meet-the-public sessions in future months.
Today's meeting was the first of a planned series of face-to-face contact between the ICAC directorate and citizens from all walks of life as part of a continuing effort to enhance public understanding.
Mr Lai's tea reception for 14 representatives from the Western Licensed Hawker Friendly Association, led by its chairman Mr Ko Tai-hung, was held at the ICAC's Hong Kong West Regional Office this afternoon.
In the meet-the-public session, Mr Lai stressed that the ICAC relied on public support in the fight against corruption, especially those who were prone to the threat of corruption.
He noted street traders, because of the nature of their business, had been vulnerable prey to the corrupt and the unscrupulous before the anti-corruption body was established.
“Indeed, our very first API (announcement of public interest) in the 1970s was targeted at hawkers and encouraged them to come forward and reported on the corrupt in person,” Mr Lai noted.
While corruption in the trade had drastically reduced since, Mr Lai urged the hawker representatives to remain on the alert and report on any corrupt activities.
“ More importantly, I appeal to you to help press home the importance of non-anonymous reports, as this would increase substantially the chance of bringing the outlaws to justice,” he told the hawker representatives.
The meet-the-public programme is part of the ICAC's on-going community education drive and about 130 such sessions were held by its eight regional offices over the past two years, reaching more than 2000 citizens from all strata of the community.
Mr Lai said the programme had helped the ICAC tremendously in keeping pulse on the corruption trend and situations, as well as increasing the transparency of the Commission’s work.
Following today's session, other members of the ICAC directorate would take turn in participating in these meet-the-public sessions in future months.