ICAC calls for greater co-operation in fighting private sector graft
2009-11-9
ICAC Commissioner Dr Timothy Tong Hin-ming, who has led a delegation to participate in a seminar in Macao, today (Monday) called on business leaders and monitoring authorities in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao to generate greater synergy in the economic d evelopment of the Greater Pearl River Delta and step up co-operation in the fight against corruption.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the seminar, Dr Tong said experience acquired from past encounters of economic crises showed that Hong Kong’s reputation as an international financial centre and the development of the overall economy hinged on a level playing field for businesses and investors’ confidence.
Speaking to reporters after the seminar, Dr Tong said since 2000, Macao Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) has requested the ICAC to assist in corruption investigations on 89 occasions while Hong Kong has requested assistance on 169 occasions.
He added that the ICAC and the CCAC have maintained a close working relationship. In view of the impending enactment of Macao’s bribery legislation governing the private sector, Dr Tong foresees further room for co-operation between the two organisations and opportunities to intensify partnership between the two territories.
The two-day seminar was jointly organised by the Ministry of Supervision (MoS), Hong Kong ICAC and the CCAC. Other speakers included Mr Zhang Huawei, Vice-Ministerial Commissioner of MoS; and Mr Cheong U, CACC Commissioner.
Senior officials from the three organisations also exchanged views on the latest development of anti-corruption work in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.
To show support to the event, Macao Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah received the heads and key members of the three delegations.
Dr Tong noted that since the financial tsunami last year, corruption reports received by Hong Kong ICAC had remained steady. In the first 10 months of this year, the Commission received 1,842 corruption reports concerning the private sector, registering a slight decrease compared to 1,851 reports in the corresponding period last year.
The ICAC Commissioner attributed the steady corruption situation in Hong Kong to the reviving economy and the public’s alertness, the latter being a fruitful result of a three-pronged strategy through enforcement, prevention and education, as well as a partnership approach with the business sector to fight corruption.
“Over the past 30 years, the globalisation of the world economy and the open-up policy of the Mainland have contributed to the prosperous business development of Hong Kong. Of particular concern to the ICAC is private sector corruption. With the economie s of the Mainland and Macao being on the fast developing trend, it is believed that the fight against private sector corruption will only gain momentum,” Dr Tong said.
Dr Tong noted that in the early years, private sector corruption reports only accounted for roughly 13 per cent of the total - about 400 cases each year.
When the economy began to boom in the 80s, the number of reports against the private sector reached about 1,000 each year, accounting for about 40 per cent of the total. After the Asian financial turmoil in 1997, the figures registered a 62 per cent jump from 1,571 cases in 1997 to 2,542 in 2001.
Dr Tong said: “The Government had then taken determined measures to stabilize the economy, while the ICAC pursued unrelentingly every single pursuable case, unearthing a string of corruption-facilitated fraud cases in the finance and banking sectors.
“The financial turmoil also exemplified that an overheated economy could often give rise to opportunities for corruption. The consequences would be borne by innocent investors or even the community as a whole.”
Over the past 30-odd years, the ICAC has devoted abundant resources to corruption prevention work in the private sector, attaching equal importance to enforcement and prevention. The setting up of the Advisory Services Group and the Hong Kong Ethics Deve lopment Centre, as well as the concerted efforts with chambers of commerce to promote business ethics and good corporate governance has had a lasting impact on the business sector.
At the seminar, Dr Tong also shared the ICAC’s double-barreled strategy of law enforcement and prevention as well as its partnership approach in the fight against corruption over the past 35 years.
Today’s seminar, attended by about 150 graft fighters from the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, was the third of its kind jointly organised by the MoS, the ICAC and the CCAC.
Following the first joint seminar held in Shenzhen early last year on construction projects, the three organisations has undertaken to take turn to host similar events on various themes. The second joint seminar on corporate governance in the financial s ector was held in Hong Kong at the end of 2008.
The 40-member ICAC delegation includes ICAC’s Director of Community Relations Ms Julie Mu Fee-man, Director of Corruption Prevention Mrs Jean Au Yeung Lui Miu-kwan, and other officers from the two departments.
While Ms Mu today chaired a panel discussion on building up integrity in the development of the Greater Pearl River Delta, two assistant directors from the Community Relations and Corruption Prevention Department respectively expounded on the root of corr uption in the private sector and corruption prevention work.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the seminar, Dr Tong said experience acquired from past encounters of economic crises showed that Hong Kong’s reputation as an international financial centre and the development of the overall economy hinged on a level playing field for businesses and investors’ confidence.
Speaking to reporters after the seminar, Dr Tong said since 2000, Macao Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) has requested the ICAC to assist in corruption investigations on 89 occasions while Hong Kong has requested assistance on 169 occasions.
He added that the ICAC and the CCAC have maintained a close working relationship. In view of the impending enactment of Macao’s bribery legislation governing the private sector, Dr Tong foresees further room for co-operation between the two organisations and opportunities to intensify partnership between the two territories.
The two-day seminar was jointly organised by the Ministry of Supervision (MoS), Hong Kong ICAC and the CCAC. Other speakers included Mr Zhang Huawei, Vice-Ministerial Commissioner of MoS; and Mr Cheong U, CACC Commissioner.
Senior officials from the three organisations also exchanged views on the latest development of anti-corruption work in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.
To show support to the event, Macao Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah received the heads and key members of the three delegations.
Dr Tong noted that since the financial tsunami last year, corruption reports received by Hong Kong ICAC had remained steady. In the first 10 months of this year, the Commission received 1,842 corruption reports concerning the private sector, registering a slight decrease compared to 1,851 reports in the corresponding period last year.
The ICAC Commissioner attributed the steady corruption situation in Hong Kong to the reviving economy and the public’s alertness, the latter being a fruitful result of a three-pronged strategy through enforcement, prevention and education, as well as a partnership approach with the business sector to fight corruption.
“Over the past 30 years, the globalisation of the world economy and the open-up policy of the Mainland have contributed to the prosperous business development of Hong Kong. Of particular concern to the ICAC is private sector corruption. With the economie s of the Mainland and Macao being on the fast developing trend, it is believed that the fight against private sector corruption will only gain momentum,” Dr Tong said.
Dr Tong noted that in the early years, private sector corruption reports only accounted for roughly 13 per cent of the total - about 400 cases each year.
When the economy began to boom in the 80s, the number of reports against the private sector reached about 1,000 each year, accounting for about 40 per cent of the total. After the Asian financial turmoil in 1997, the figures registered a 62 per cent jump from 1,571 cases in 1997 to 2,542 in 2001.
Dr Tong said: “The Government had then taken determined measures to stabilize the economy, while the ICAC pursued unrelentingly every single pursuable case, unearthing a string of corruption-facilitated fraud cases in the finance and banking sectors.
“The financial turmoil also exemplified that an overheated economy could often give rise to opportunities for corruption. The consequences would be borne by innocent investors or even the community as a whole.”
Over the past 30-odd years, the ICAC has devoted abundant resources to corruption prevention work in the private sector, attaching equal importance to enforcement and prevention. The setting up of the Advisory Services Group and the Hong Kong Ethics Deve lopment Centre, as well as the concerted efforts with chambers of commerce to promote business ethics and good corporate governance has had a lasting impact on the business sector.
At the seminar, Dr Tong also shared the ICAC’s double-barreled strategy of law enforcement and prevention as well as its partnership approach in the fight against corruption over the past 35 years.
Today’s seminar, attended by about 150 graft fighters from the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, was the third of its kind jointly organised by the MoS, the ICAC and the CCAC.
Following the first joint seminar held in Shenzhen early last year on construction projects, the three organisations has undertaken to take turn to host similar events on various themes. The second joint seminar on corporate governance in the financial s ector was held in Hong Kong at the end of 2008.
The 40-member ICAC delegation includes ICAC’s Director of Community Relations Ms Julie Mu Fee-man, Director of Corruption Prevention Mrs Jean Au Yeung Lui Miu-kwan, and other officers from the two departments.
While Ms Mu today chaired a panel discussion on building up integrity in the development of the Greater Pearl River Delta, two assistant directors from the Community Relations and Corruption Prevention Department respectively expounded on the root of corr uption in the private sector and corruption prevention work.