Corrupt practices to be arrested through institutional strengthening
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh

–says Dr. Singh

AS part of its efforts to restrict instances of corruption, the Government of Guyana has started strengthening institutions, according to Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh.
Institutional strengthening is imperative for there to be public accountability, transparency and good governance, Dr. Singh said, while addressing a special session of the United Nations General Assembly on challenges and measures to prevent and combat corruption and strengthen international co-operation.
The senior minister said that corruption threatens the core values of democracy that the global community holds so dear to them. Corruption, he related, also affects all countries, from advanced economies to fragile states.
“Corruption has deep, insidious, and lasting consequences on economies and societies. Its harmful effects on stability and security, public institutions and trust in them, the functioning and efficiency of markets, and overall economic performance, are well documented.

“It undermines the rule of law, and is often directly linked to serious crime, such as money laundering, terrorism, and trafficking of drugs, arms, and persons,” Senior Minister Singh said.
Considering the impact of corruption on an economy, Dr. Singh said the Government of Guyana will be tackling it from every angle; this includes ensuring that there is greater transparency through parliamentary oversight, independence and the mandate of constitutional bodies.
Through new constitutional and legal frameworks there will be greater integrity in public office, public financial management, public procurement, and enhanced focus on anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism.
Additionally, considering the importance of good governance in the natural resource sector, Guyana will also implement the standards of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, and uphold the Santiago Principles for management of sovereign wealth funds.

He further acknowledged the need for international co-operation against corruption, citing the instrumental role played by the international community during Guyana’s March 2, 2020, elections, in ensuring that democracy was not subverted and that the democratic will of the people was eventually respected.
The government, he said, is pleased with the recognition of the importance of safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process as a means of preventing corruption, ensuring accountability, promoting good governance, and reinforcing trust in public institutions.
“Guyana wishes to underscore the importance of international co-operation in the fight against corruption. In particular, we draw attention to Clause 47 in the Lima Commitment on Democratic Governance against Corruption, which emerged from the Fourth Summit of the Americas. That clause calls for co-ordination amongst international and regional anti-corruption bodies, to foster synergies and avoid duplication of effort in the fight against corruption. This is particularly pertinent to small countries with limited resources, human, technical and financial,” Dr. Singh said.

The senior minister noted that in moving the agenda forward for combatting corruption, the government will be assessing current and emerging realities in determining systems to achieve its goal. He stated that the onset of COVID-19 presented an opportunity to deploy digital technology to facilitate remote bidder participation in bid openings in public procurement, thereby enhancing public scrutiny of the process and helping to build trust.
Digital technology offers exciting opportunities for delivery of public services to be enhanced while improving public accountability.
Senior Minister Singh reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to continue working with its international partners, including the United Nations, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and the Implementation Mechanism of the UN Convention Against Corruption.
“We also welcome the recognition of how important technical assistance will be in strengthening national capacity, and we look forward to relevant assistance from such entities as the UNODC and other international bodies within their respective mandates,” Dr. Singh said.

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