Just say the word corruption and almost everyone can cite an example
of it in public life, from entry level jobs right up to the very top of the
public administration pyramid. There’s hardly any denying that corruption
is widespread – but how to stop it is a question for which there are few
practicable answers. That’s where the Inter-American Convention against
Corruption comes in. Today the OAS hosted a workshop to review a 115 page draft
Action Plan for Belize. It’s a lot of paperwork pledges, and Jim McFadzean
found out how much of it is implement-able.
Jim McFadzean Reporting,
Speaking at today’s opening of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption,
the Minister of Economic Development and Local Government John Saldivar ,spoke
about the governments’ efforts at addressing corruption at all levels
of the public service:
Hon. John Saldivar, Minister of the Public Service
“Belize has adopted measures which criminalize the acts of corruption
provided for by Article 6 of the Convention. We have introduced and passed laws
including the Finance and Audit Reform Act and Revised Stores and Financial
Orders. Very soon a new fiscal transparency legislation will be introduced which
will have stiff penalties and prison time for politicians and public officers
who are convicted of trying to make off or make off with the people’s
money. The Prime Minister in his Independence Day speech to the nation said
that the government will go to all lengths to improve its corruption fighting
infrastructure and pursue official wrongdoings.”
Belize’s public officers are already governed by a code of conduct, which
is established in both the Constitution of Belize and in the Public Service
Regulations, whose provisions are addressed and defined in legislation such
as the Prevention of Corruption Act 2007. However, one of the salient recommendations
of the draft is that, “Belize should consider strengthening the implementation
of the provisions on conflicts of interest and ensure that the laws are applicable
to all public officials and employees.”
The Committee of Experts have expressed that while the standards in the Prevention
of Corruption Act of 2007 are relevant for advancing the purposes of the Convention,
it notes an absence of conflict of interest standards regulating the activities
in which former public servants may engage after leaving government service.
The committee recommends that Belize establish a standard for addressing conflicts
that can occur between individual specific government matters in which those
persons that perform public functions would be expected to act as a part of
their responsibilities and an official’s or family member’s financial
interests or his outside activities or negotiations for future private employment
arrangements.
Saldivar says today’s efforts sponsored by The OAS in conjunction with
the Attorney General’s office could not have come at a more opportune
time, in the wake of Belize’s law enforcement agencies coming under a
barrage of allegations of abuse and corruption.
Hon. John Saldivar,
“We have considered and adopted certain measures to establish maintain
and strengthen standards of conduct designed to prevent conflicts of interest
and mechanisms to enforce them as well as standards of conduct to ensure the
proper consultation and use of resources entrusted to government officials in
the performance of their functions and enforcement mechanisms.”
The Plan of Action introduced and presented over the course of the next two
days to the participants, is expected to be modified and finalized by incorporating
the input from this national workshop. Reporting for Seven News, I’m Jim
McFadzean.
Today’s workshop had the participation of representatives from
civil society, government agencies, the judiciary, legislature, private sector,
and international funding agencies.
Email
Print