The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) yesterday launched its national Public Integrity and Anti-Bribery Campaign to the Ministry of Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport at Nasilivata House, Samabula.
The Commission, in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works, Meteorological Services, and Transport, will conduct Ethics, Values & Anti-Bribery workshop trainings to all senior head of departments and all officers of the Ministry including officers at its divisional centres around Fiji.
FICAC Manager Corruption Prevention, Ms Kolora Naliva, said the campaign is a joint collaboration with the United Nations Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption project.
“Our Anti-Bribery Campaign, bearing a strong motto message of ‘I don’t accept bribes,’ is a nationwide anti-corruption effort to tackle the most prevalent corruption offence known as bribery, which is only one of the most common forms of corruption, often hidden from view, due to the fact that it is a dark figure crime,” Ms Naliva told the participants.
“From the anti-corruption perspective, at the policymaking and regulation level, there is a tremendous scope for constraining the corruption that can arise from uncontrolled projects and developments.
“At the high level of decision making that is associated with policy on major public works and infrastructure projects, the corruption type itself is rather simple – bribery, fraud, abuse of power, extortion, embezzlement, money laundering, collusion, favouritism and illicit influence in the decision making. Corrupt influence exists especially due to capture of the decision-making process by elites, to poor coordination across the many bodies involved, to the endless complexity of construction projects, and to biased intermediate-level decision making.”
Ms Naliva in her message to the Ministry urged the Executive Management to take ownership of the Campaign, and to encourage all its officers to openly embrace integrity and build a culture of resilience against the incitement to bribery.
“Your contribution to this national fight is to spread the message and knowledge of anti-bribery and anti-corruption as loudly and as widely as possible and to uphold the anti-corruption principles of integrity and good governance, whether in your life as a citizen of this country or as a civil servant of this Ministry, when carrying out your work in a dignified manner.” she said.
MPWMST Permanent Secretary Mr. Paula Baleilevuka said his ministry will continue to work with the Commission.
“The Ministry and individuals must know how FICAC can help us deliver our deliverables, and I want my team to be aware of corruption and the gift rules. We want to learn with FICAC.
“We want the sessions to go to the divisions as well. The presenters were highly knowledgeable, which greatly aided in understanding.
"We want everyone to understand corruption, its impact, and the importance of education on corruption."