ICAC Commissioner shares HK's anti-corruption experience with EU leaders
2004-11-25
The ICAC, with the staunch support from the community, has successfully nurtured a corruption-free environment through a three-pronged strategy of law enforcement, prevention and community education, said ICAC Commissioner, Mr Raymond Wong Hung-chiu, in V ienna, Austria.
Addressing the Conference on the Enhancement of Operational Co-operation in Fighting Corruption in the European Union as the only keynote speaker from the Asian region yesterday, Mr Wong shared Hong Kong’s experience in transforming from a graft-plagued city into a place now distinguished for its strong anti-corruption regime, a clean civil service and a fair business environment.
The anti-corruption conference, organised by Austria's Federal Ministry of the Interior, is held from November 24 to 26 for exchanges among law enforcement leaders of the 25 member countries of the European Union on anti-corruption strategies and internat ional co-operation issues.
Mr Wong said throughout the years, the proportion of corruption reports against government departments had substantially decreased. It dropped from 86 per cent of the total in 1974 to 36 per cent last year.
Meanwhile, the private sector had become more forthcoming in reporting cases. In recent years, over half of the corruption reports related to private sector.
In his speech entitled “A Quiet Revolution in Effecting Social Changes: The Hong Kong Experience” , Mr Wong noted that Hong Kong people now adopted a “near to zero” tolerance towards corruption.
The rise in the proportion of non-anonymous corruption reports from one-third in the 1970s to over 70 per cent in recent years further reflected the change in public attitude and growing public trust in the ICAC.
Mr Wong attributed Hong Kong's success in battling corruption to four major elements: the independence of the anti-corruption agency which is highly accountable, strong anti-corruption laws, government commitment and full support from the community.
However, he stressed that despite these achievements, there was no room for complacency. “Through the time-tested three-pronged strategy, we will remain robust and relentless in pursuing the corrupt, and make incessant efforts to keep up the public's vigilance against corruption and to perpetuate ethical practices in the community.”
Mr Wong this afternoon also addressed businessmen at a luncheon co-hosted by the Austrian Hong Kong Society and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels.
On Hong Kong’s latest corruption situation, the Commissioner revealed that in the past few years, an annual average of about 4,000 corruption reports was received.
In the first 10 months of this year, a total of 3,125 graft complaints were received, which is 15% less than that in the same period last year.
Meanwhile, the number of reports alleging cross-boundary corruption remained low in recent years, accounting for about two to three per cent of the total reports only.
Despite the small number of cross-boundary graft reports, the Commissioner noted that a preventive education programme has been launched for cross-boundary businessmen, in view of Hong Kong's increasingly close economic ties with the Mainland.
As international businesses invest in Hong Kong because its government policies and practices are open and fair and its civil service is clean and efficient, Mr Wong assured that Hong Kong would remain firmly committed to fighting corruption and maintaini ng a level playing field for all.
Prior to his visit to Austria, Mr Wong met the Deputy Commissioner, London Metropolitan Police, Sir Ian Blair, in London on Monday to strengthen liaison between the two agencies.
Mr Wong will return to Hong Kong on Saturday (November 27).
Addressing the Conference on the Enhancement of Operational Co-operation in Fighting Corruption in the European Union as the only keynote speaker from the Asian region yesterday, Mr Wong shared Hong Kong’s experience in transforming from a graft-plagued city into a place now distinguished for its strong anti-corruption regime, a clean civil service and a fair business environment.
The anti-corruption conference, organised by Austria's Federal Ministry of the Interior, is held from November 24 to 26 for exchanges among law enforcement leaders of the 25 member countries of the European Union on anti-corruption strategies and internat ional co-operation issues.
Mr Wong said throughout the years, the proportion of corruption reports against government departments had substantially decreased. It dropped from 86 per cent of the total in 1974 to 36 per cent last year.
Meanwhile, the private sector had become more forthcoming in reporting cases. In recent years, over half of the corruption reports related to private sector.
In his speech entitled “A Quiet Revolution in Effecting Social Changes: The Hong Kong Experience” , Mr Wong noted that Hong Kong people now adopted a “near to zero” tolerance towards corruption.
The rise in the proportion of non-anonymous corruption reports from one-third in the 1970s to over 70 per cent in recent years further reflected the change in public attitude and growing public trust in the ICAC.
Mr Wong attributed Hong Kong's success in battling corruption to four major elements: the independence of the anti-corruption agency which is highly accountable, strong anti-corruption laws, government commitment and full support from the community.
However, he stressed that despite these achievements, there was no room for complacency. “Through the time-tested three-pronged strategy, we will remain robust and relentless in pursuing the corrupt, and make incessant efforts to keep up the public's vigilance against corruption and to perpetuate ethical practices in the community.”
Mr Wong this afternoon also addressed businessmen at a luncheon co-hosted by the Austrian Hong Kong Society and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels.
On Hong Kong’s latest corruption situation, the Commissioner revealed that in the past few years, an annual average of about 4,000 corruption reports was received.
In the first 10 months of this year, a total of 3,125 graft complaints were received, which is 15% less than that in the same period last year.
Meanwhile, the number of reports alleging cross-boundary corruption remained low in recent years, accounting for about two to three per cent of the total reports only.
Despite the small number of cross-boundary graft reports, the Commissioner noted that a preventive education programme has been launched for cross-boundary businessmen, in view of Hong Kong's increasingly close economic ties with the Mainland.
As international businesses invest in Hong Kong because its government policies and practices are open and fair and its civil service is clean and efficient, Mr Wong assured that Hong Kong would remain firmly committed to fighting corruption and maintaini ng a level playing field for all.
Prior to his visit to Austria, Mr Wong met the Deputy Commissioner, London Metropolitan Police, Sir Ian Blair, in London on Monday to strengthen liaison between the two agencies.
Mr Wong will return to Hong Kong on Saturday (November 27).