Review and preview: ICAC's probity endeavor at a glance

ICAC Commissioner Simon Peh Yun-lu earlier hosted a press conference to revisit Hong Kong's anti-corruption efforts in 2021 amid the Covid-19 epidemic, highlighting the Commission' major initiatives which contributed to the probity cause both locally and internationally.

Private sector: a multitude of anti-graft initiatives

In 2021, corruption complaints concerning the private sector registered an increase of 31% alongside the revival of local economic activities as Hong Kong's epidemic situation turned stable towards the end of the year. The ICAC remained vigilant and continued to spare no efforts in keeping corruption at bay. Tailor-made preventive and education initiatives provided to industries which attracted most complaints included:

• Strengthening Property Management Services Authority' internal controls, including licensing and complaints handling
• Producing a training video and self-learning kit to enhance ethical standard of practitioners in the industry

• Partnering with Construction Industry Council and relevant government Departments to enhance corruption prevention measures in workers recruitment
• Including components of the "Integrity Management System" promulgated by the ICAC to the registration requirements for public works contractors
• Over 190 construction companies joining ICAC's "Integrity Charter"

• Launching a Corruption Prevention Guide for Insurance Companies, following the introduction of the new regulatory regime in the insurance industry
• Rolling out an Ethics Promotion Programme for Banking Industry to enhance professional ethics of banking practitioners and promote a probity culture across the industry

Public sector: upholding a probity culture

The civil service in Hong Kong remained clean and honest. Corruption complaints involving government bureaux/departments slightly rose by 3%, while those concerning public bodies dropped by 15% when compared with 2020.

• Taking part in training courses of the newly established Civil Service College to systematically introduce the anti-bribery law and other probity requirements to civil servants of different ranks
• Offering up-to-date corruption prevention advice to government departments and public bodies
• Launching an integrity promotion campaign for public bodies and partnering with professional bodies to strengthen their integrity management and graft prevention capability

Global action

ICAC Commissioner was elected President of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA) January this year, reflecting the recognition of Hong Kong's anti-graft work by the international community and the Commission's increasing importance in the global arena.

Following Mr Peh's assumption of IAACA presidency, the ICAC has taken over the work of the IAACA Secretariat. The IAACA immediately adopted the global regions cooperation and coordination mechanism advocated by the ICAC in order to strengthen regional cooperation and put forward anticorruption agencies (ACAs)' capacity building initiatives.

In the past five years, the ICAC had built rapport with 63 state parties of the United Nations Convention against Corruption for anti-corruption training. Over 30 capacity building programmes were hosted for overseas ACAs, benefiting over 1,000 anti-graft fighters worldwide.