NAB chief for concerted efforts to combat corruption
Says ‘Pakistan Vision-2025’ promises a comprehensive approach to strengthen national anti-corruption regime
The NAB chief is attending a conference of the states that are parties to the UN Convention Against Corruption at St. Petersburg, Russia. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Pakistan’s top anti-graft official has called for concerted efforts to curb corruption which is a “common challenge to global community”, said a press release ON Wednesday.
The UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) “provides us firm global legal foundation to pool our efforts and forge synergies” to combat the menace, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry said while addressing the conference of the states parties to the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) at St. Petersburg, Russia on Wednesday.
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“Corruption impedes sustainable socio-economic growth, undermines rule of law and negatively affects institutions, provides succor to an array of other transnational organised crime.” He said that curbing this menace requires concerted efforts at all levels -- national, regional and global.
Chaudhry said that the conference would give impetus to promoting synergies to combat the trans-national crime of corruption.
He said that Pakistan welcomes the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations. Effective follow-up on the agenda would give further boost to the ongoing global efforts to fight corruption, he added.
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NAB chief said that Pakistan was committed to fighting corruption in all its forms. Ever-since the ratification of the UN Convention against Corruption in 2007, Pakistan has been a constructive partner of the global community in achieving these objectives.
The Pakistan Vision-2025 promises a comprehensive approach to strengthen the national anti-corruption regime. It calls for preparation and implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, strengthening institutions through capacity enhancement, integrity, public sector management agenda, and supporting improvements in public administration, strengthening audit functions to improve resource allocation while making embezzlement more easily detectable and procurement reforms, etc.
He said Pakistan has in place a robust legal, institutional and administrative framework including establishment of NAB which enjoys full administrative and financial autonomy.
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The national accountability law is founded on the pillars of enforcement through prosecution, awareness/education and prevention, Chaudhry said.
“Our awareness and prevention regime places special emphasis on enhancing interaction with youth as we feel that the seeds of integrity can be best planted in this age,” he commented. Character-building societies have been set up in educational institutions across the country to sensitize the youth about the ill-effects of corruption.
He said that the law provides for constituting sector-specific prevention committees involving representatives of public and private sectors as well as civil society to carry out diagnostic analysis of the systemic inefficiencies and loopholes.
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He said that promoting bilateral and regional cooperation on anti-corruption issues constitutes an important priority for Pakistan. A regional conference of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation member countries for promoting
cooperation in the field of anti-corruption is being organised.
Fighting corruption and enhancing transparency in the affairs of government is an important priority in Pakistan Vision 2025. The Pakistan Governance Forum has entrusted NAB with the responsibility to lead the accountability and transparency initiatives.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 5th, 2015.