ICAC chief shares with Mainland and Macao counterparts transparency of public financial management
2010-8-30
Making public government budgets to allow scrutiny by citizens was a powerful weapon to help keep governments clean, ICAC Commissioner Dr Timothy Tong Hin-ming earlier told a seminar on anti-corruption and public finance in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province.
Hong Kong had an open public finance system with an effective public funds monitoring mechanism comprising central governmental controls, departmental self-checks and societal supervision involving citizens, Dr Tong said.
On internal controls, the ICAC has been helping government departments improve administrative rules and work procedures. Detailed corruption prevention recommendations are provided to them to ensure proper use of public funds in major projects.
On societal supervision, Dr Tong said that as a result of continuous efforts to enhance public awareness against corruption, citizens were willing to report graft and did not tolerate any corrupt practices of individual public servants.
He said that for criminal acts committed by public officers, such as misuse of public office for personal gain and abuse of public resources, the Commission would tackle the problem through law enforcement and investigation.
The Commissioner said that at a more macro level the ICAC would take into consideration the Government’s budget, its major policy objectives and projects involving substantial public funds in formulating its corruption prevention strategies.
Citing the Pearl River Delta Region’s growing economic interaction in recent years as an example, he said that the ICAC had stepped up its cooperation with Guangdong and Macao anti-corruption authorities to jointly foster a clean business environment.
The two-day seminar which commenced last Thursday (August 26) was jointly organised by the Ministry of Supervision (MOS), National Bureau of Corruption Prevention (NBCP), ICAC and Macao’s Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) with support from the Heilongjiang Provincial People’s Government.
MOS Minister & NBCP Director Ms Ma Wen delivered a keynote speech at the seminar. The event’s opening ceremony was hosted by MOS Vice-Minister and NBCP Deputy Director Mr Qu Wanxiang, followed by speeches by Heilongjiang Province Deputy Governor Mr Du Jiahao, ICAC’s Dr Tong and CCAC Commissioner Dr Fong Man-chong.
Participants at the seminar also observed a moment of silence mourning the passengers killed in the recent aircraft crash in Yichun city and the Hong Kong tourists lost in a tour bus hijack in the Philippines.
ICAC’s Director of Community Relations Ms Julie Mu Fee-man chaired a panel discussing the legal premise and practical significance of open public finance.
Director of Corruption Prevention Mrs Jean Au Yeung Lui Miu-kwan told participants that the effective monitoring of public finance required budgets to be open to public scrutiny and putting in place a sound system of checks.
Assistant Director of Community Relations Mr Jeremy Lo Kwok-chung said that an effective public finance supervision system was crucial to good governance and clean governments.
In close partnership with government and public bodies, he said that the ICAC had long been promoting probity to ensure accountability and clean management of public funds.
Also addressing the seminar were Mr Kwok Kwok-chuen, Honorary Senior Research Fellow of The University of Hong Kong’s Business and Economics Faculty, and Mr Frederick Wong Tat-cheong, Senior Auditor of the Hong Kong Audit Commission.
Mr Kwok said that a transparent public finance policy together with effective monitoring and accountability would help a government reduce internal wastage, improve efficacy of policy implementation and prevent corruption.
Noting that public organisations must be accountable to the public for their entrusted responsibilities, Mr Wong said that audits would not only help identify financial management risks but also improve their performance and strengthen accountability.
Other speakers and panelists at the seminar included officials from the MOS, Ministry of Finance, National Audit Office, and various provincial and municipal governments as well as Mainland academics and Macao Government representatives.
Hong Kong had an open public finance system with an effective public funds monitoring mechanism comprising central governmental controls, departmental self-checks and societal supervision involving citizens, Dr Tong said.
On internal controls, the ICAC has been helping government departments improve administrative rules and work procedures. Detailed corruption prevention recommendations are provided to them to ensure proper use of public funds in major projects.
On societal supervision, Dr Tong said that as a result of continuous efforts to enhance public awareness against corruption, citizens were willing to report graft and did not tolerate any corrupt practices of individual public servants.
He said that for criminal acts committed by public officers, such as misuse of public office for personal gain and abuse of public resources, the Commission would tackle the problem through law enforcement and investigation.
The Commissioner said that at a more macro level the ICAC would take into consideration the Government’s budget, its major policy objectives and projects involving substantial public funds in formulating its corruption prevention strategies.
Citing the Pearl River Delta Region’s growing economic interaction in recent years as an example, he said that the ICAC had stepped up its cooperation with Guangdong and Macao anti-corruption authorities to jointly foster a clean business environment.
The two-day seminar which commenced last Thursday (August 26) was jointly organised by the Ministry of Supervision (MOS), National Bureau of Corruption Prevention (NBCP), ICAC and Macao’s Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) with support from the Heilongjiang Provincial People’s Government.
MOS Minister & NBCP Director Ms Ma Wen delivered a keynote speech at the seminar. The event’s opening ceremony was hosted by MOS Vice-Minister and NBCP Deputy Director Mr Qu Wanxiang, followed by speeches by Heilongjiang Province Deputy Governor Mr Du Jiahao, ICAC’s Dr Tong and CCAC Commissioner Dr Fong Man-chong.
Participants at the seminar also observed a moment of silence mourning the passengers killed in the recent aircraft crash in Yichun city and the Hong Kong tourists lost in a tour bus hijack in the Philippines.
ICAC’s Director of Community Relations Ms Julie Mu Fee-man chaired a panel discussing the legal premise and practical significance of open public finance.
Director of Corruption Prevention Mrs Jean Au Yeung Lui Miu-kwan told participants that the effective monitoring of public finance required budgets to be open to public scrutiny and putting in place a sound system of checks.
Assistant Director of Community Relations Mr Jeremy Lo Kwok-chung said that an effective public finance supervision system was crucial to good governance and clean governments.
In close partnership with government and public bodies, he said that the ICAC had long been promoting probity to ensure accountability and clean management of public funds.
Also addressing the seminar were Mr Kwok Kwok-chuen, Honorary Senior Research Fellow of The University of Hong Kong’s Business and Economics Faculty, and Mr Frederick Wong Tat-cheong, Senior Auditor of the Hong Kong Audit Commission.
Mr Kwok said that a transparent public finance policy together with effective monitoring and accountability would help a government reduce internal wastage, improve efficacy of policy implementation and prevent corruption.
Noting that public organisations must be accountable to the public for their entrusted responsibilities, Mr Wong said that audits would not only help identify financial management risks but also improve their performance and strengthen accountability.
Other speakers and panelists at the seminar included officials from the MOS, Ministry of Finance, National Audit Office, and various provincial and municipal governments as well as Mainland academics and Macao Government representatives.