Co-operation: NAB, ACAG tie up in anti-corruption fight

Groups aim to improve training and create awareness.

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau and Anti-Corruption Action Group have agreed to further boost cooperation to fight corruption in the country.

This decision was reached in a meeting between the ACAG and NAB authorities held at the NAB Headquarters on Wednesday. The meeting was presided by Chairman NAB, Qamar Zaman Chaudhry.

Speaking on the occasion, chairman NAB informed ACAG members of the initiatives NAB has taken to eliminate corruption.

He further welcomed ACAG’s initiative for greater cooperation and assured the participants of all-out support. To this effect, he said NAB is focusing to work with international agencies in the areas of training, awareness and prevention with the aim to highlight the ill-effects of corruption. He called for sustained and constructive engagement with international partners to further this agenda.

The ACAG delegation, headed by Ben French said that the group will work with NAB on primary areas including the implementation of the measures related to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in the country and serve as an anti-corruption knowledge-sharing and coordination platform for the government counterparts and members from the international community.

He informed the meeting that the ACAG aims to establish ‘governance partnership’ with government and civil society organisations. French added that engagement at various levels between organisations was required to improve the productivity of donor projects and programmes. He further said that corruption affected deliveries of services, growth, development and democracy greatly.

Director General operations and prosecutor general accountability NAB briefed the delegation on the working methodology and achievements of the bureau.

The delegation also appreciated NAB for its efforts for the eradication of corruption and especially for good conviction rate in corruption cases. They praised the recent momentum in NAB’s activities in awareness and prevention, enforcement and prosecution matters. The group expressed their desire to engage more constructively with NAB in the future.