Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao organise first joint anti-graft seminar
2008-1-23
The Ministry of Supervision, together with the ICAC and Macao Commission Against Corruption (CCAC), jointly organised a seminar for the first time to exchange views and experience on corruption prevention strategies in relation to construction projects.
Co-organised by the Shenzhen Municipal Supervision Bureau, the two-day (January 22-23) seminar held in Shenzhen was attended by representatives from anti-corruption bodies, transport and construction-related departments of various provinces and cities in the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao.
Deputy Minister of Supervision, Mr Yao Zengke, officiated at the opening ceremony, while Deputy Minister of Supervision, Mr Hao Mingjin; Shenzhen Executive Vice Mayor, Mr Liu Yingli; ICAC Commissioner, Mr Timothy Tong Hin-ming and CCAC Commissioner, Mr Ch eong U, also addressed the participants during the ceremony.
Mr Yao remarked that the seminar represented a proactive initiative for the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao to explore further exchanges and cooperation on anti-corruption work.
Mr Tong echoed that this joint corruption prevention seminar marked a new milestone for anti-corruption cooperation among the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao.
As economic progress would bring about more construction projects, Mr Tong said three places all faced the challenge of meeting high standards in terms of both quality and integrity.
“It is timely and appropriate to host this seminar focussing on corruption prevention in construction works,” he added.
Mr Tong revealed that construction-related corruption reports received by the ICAC had once increased sharply from an average of 180 in 1999 to over 250 in 2002. Most of these cases involved irregularities in tendering and works supervision.
Through vigorous law enforcement as well as prevention and education efforts, the ICAC had successfully tackled the corruption problem in the construction industry.
In the past two years, construction-related corruption reports had dropped to about 110 a year, while the number of persons prosecuted in related cases also fell from a high of about 70 to less than 20 last year.
The ICAC Commissioner said Hong Kong ploughed in an average of HK$30 billion into infrastructure projects each year. In the coming years, the Hong Kong Government had plans to initiate 10 major infrastructure projects estimated to cost over HK$250 billion .
In light of the substantial investment involved in infrastructure projects, the ICAC’s Corruption Prevention Department had set up a “Special Project Group” to closely liaise with the policy bureaux and departments to provide timely preventive advice to plug any corruption loopholes.
Mr Tong said cooperation with the anti-corruption authorities in the Mainland and Macao on corruption prevention and education would further expand, to cover other areas such as the medical system and procurement of medicine.
The seminar focussed on discussions on the causes and consequences of construction corruption as well as the strategies and preventive measures in tackling the problem.
The ICAC’s Director of Corruption Prevention, Mr Ricky Chu Man-kin and Assistant Director of Corruption Prevention, Mrs Jean Au Yeung Lui Miu-kwan had shared with the participants ICAC’s experience in dealing with construction graft cases in Hong Kong and the preventive strategies.
Director of Community Relations, Mr Thomas Chan Chi-sun chaired a plenary session on “Measures to tackle construction related corruption”, while Assistant Director of Community Relations, Ms Julie Mu Fee-man, and Group Head of the Corruption Prevention Department, Mr Mok Wah-hoi, also spoke at other plenary sessions.
Also sharing Hong Kong’s experience at the seminar were Deputy Director of the Housing Department, Ms Ada Fung Yin-suen, and an engineering representative and member of the Corruption Prevention Advisory Committee, Dr Andrew Chan Ka-ching.
The closing ceremony of the seminar was officiated by Mr Hao Mingjin and addressed by Mr Yao Zengke.
Co-organised by the Shenzhen Municipal Supervision Bureau, the two-day (January 22-23) seminar held in Shenzhen was attended by representatives from anti-corruption bodies, transport and construction-related departments of various provinces and cities in the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao.
Deputy Minister of Supervision, Mr Yao Zengke, officiated at the opening ceremony, while Deputy Minister of Supervision, Mr Hao Mingjin; Shenzhen Executive Vice Mayor, Mr Liu Yingli; ICAC Commissioner, Mr Timothy Tong Hin-ming and CCAC Commissioner, Mr Ch eong U, also addressed the participants during the ceremony.
Mr Yao remarked that the seminar represented a proactive initiative for the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao to explore further exchanges and cooperation on anti-corruption work.
Mr Tong echoed that this joint corruption prevention seminar marked a new milestone for anti-corruption cooperation among the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao.
As economic progress would bring about more construction projects, Mr Tong said three places all faced the challenge of meeting high standards in terms of both quality and integrity.
“It is timely and appropriate to host this seminar focussing on corruption prevention in construction works,” he added.
Mr Tong revealed that construction-related corruption reports received by the ICAC had once increased sharply from an average of 180 in 1999 to over 250 in 2002. Most of these cases involved irregularities in tendering and works supervision.
Through vigorous law enforcement as well as prevention and education efforts, the ICAC had successfully tackled the corruption problem in the construction industry.
In the past two years, construction-related corruption reports had dropped to about 110 a year, while the number of persons prosecuted in related cases also fell from a high of about 70 to less than 20 last year.
The ICAC Commissioner said Hong Kong ploughed in an average of HK$30 billion into infrastructure projects each year. In the coming years, the Hong Kong Government had plans to initiate 10 major infrastructure projects estimated to cost over HK$250 billion .
In light of the substantial investment involved in infrastructure projects, the ICAC’s Corruption Prevention Department had set up a “Special Project Group” to closely liaise with the policy bureaux and departments to provide timely preventive advice to plug any corruption loopholes.
Mr Tong said cooperation with the anti-corruption authorities in the Mainland and Macao on corruption prevention and education would further expand, to cover other areas such as the medical system and procurement of medicine.
The seminar focussed on discussions on the causes and consequences of construction corruption as well as the strategies and preventive measures in tackling the problem.
The ICAC’s Director of Corruption Prevention, Mr Ricky Chu Man-kin and Assistant Director of Corruption Prevention, Mrs Jean Au Yeung Lui Miu-kwan had shared with the participants ICAC’s experience in dealing with construction graft cases in Hong Kong and the preventive strategies.
Director of Community Relations, Mr Thomas Chan Chi-sun chaired a plenary session on “Measures to tackle construction related corruption”, while Assistant Director of Community Relations, Ms Julie Mu Fee-man, and Group Head of the Corruption Prevention Department, Mr Mok Wah-hoi, also spoke at other plenary sessions.
Also sharing Hong Kong’s experience at the seminar were Deputy Director of the Housing Department, Ms Ada Fung Yin-suen, and an engineering representative and member of the Corruption Prevention Advisory Committee, Dr Andrew Chan Ka-ching.
The closing ceremony of the seminar was officiated by Mr Hao Mingjin and addressed by Mr Yao Zengke.