Anti Corruption Bureau Celebrates International Anti Corruption Day
By P. Marilyn

Bandar Seri Begawan - The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) yesterday held a ceremony to commemorate International Anti Corruption Day, which fell on December 9, at the Jerudong Park Country Club.

The celebration entails the presentation of certificates of appreciation to various law enforcement agencies, government departments, private sectors including mass media in recognition of their efforts and cooperation in assisting the ACB in their projects and providing assistance in the battle against corruption.

This represents part of the initiatives done by Brunei in accordance to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which is the first legally binding, international anti corruption instrument to mount a global response to corruption.

On hand to present the certificates was the Director of ACB Pg Kasmirhan bin Pg Haji Tahir. The ceremony was also attended by the Attorney General, Royal Brunei Police Force, as well as heads of various law enforcement agencies.

Speaking on the issues of corruption, the Director of ACB said that the World Bank Institute estimated that every year, a total sum of US$1 trillion is used for corrupted activities.

This reflects a worrying trend and is a waste as the money lost to corruption can be used for beneficial causes such as the fight against AIDS in Africa or to be used for fundamental projects such as water, education and housing, said the Director of ACB.

He further stated that the success of a country's economy does not solely depend on investment in the country but requires also foreign investment and therefore, it is necessary to have an unwavering investment climate with adamant law enforcement to create a `level playing field' for all parties to develop the country without corruption.

Speaking on corruption in the country, the Director said, "The issue of corruption in Brunei is not as severe as compared to other countries but that does not mean we can be complacent about it. We do not want corruption to develop as a culture in this country and for that reason, ACB introduced the `smart partnership' strategy in collaboration with the community and relevant authorities to fight against corruption."

"The involvement of all parties to jointly combat corruption in the country is important," said Pg Kasmirhan. To ensure effectiveness, `smart partnership' between the Government, Citizens and the Private Sectors is necessary to combat the issues and problems of corruption in Brunei.

"The Anti Corruption Bureau has also carried out several initiatives, apart from `smart partnership' such as anti corruption song writing competition, posters, dramas, calendars, dialogues and seminars, for the public and private sectors as well as schools."

The Director also spoke of the Corruption Prevention Education Program, an on-going program that was integrated into the National Education Curriculum since 2006 with the aim of generating a `culture of zero tolerance against corruption'.

He said that ACB is currently planning a new strategy including a feasibility study of establishing an `Integrity and Good Governance Centre' involving all government and private sectors in further understanding and learning the issues of integrity and good governance. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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