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OAS ANTI-CORRUPTION MECHANISM ADOPTS JAMAICA REPORT
At its Twenty-Fourth Meeting, held September 8 – 12,
the Committee of Experts of the Follow-up Mechanism for the
Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption
(MESICIC) adopted the A
significant portion
of the report focused on examination of those oversight bodies in The examination was carried out taking into account Some of the
recommendations formulated to Regarding
the oversight bodies generally, provide the proper resources
needed for the proper performance of their functions. Moreover, in order
to strengthen the work of the Office of the Contractor General, the
Integrity Commission and the Commission for the Prevention of
Corruption, address the lack of prosecutions being carried out by the
Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for corruption and
corruption related offences. With regard
to the Office of the Contractor General, consider carrying out
institutional and legislative reforms necessary to separate the National
Contracts Commission from the Office of the Contractor General; provide
this oversight body with the power and authority to halt or regularize a
contract or licence award that exhibits signs of corruption,
irregularity or impropriety; and update the sanctions in place for
breaches of the Contractor General Act.. Regarding the
Integrity Commission, consider establishing a website for this oversight
body; establish and implement an awareness building program to inform
individuals on the manner they may submit complaints respecting alleged
acts of corruption carried out by Parliamentarians; and consider
providing the oversight body with the ability to impose administrative
sanctions for the late or non-filing of a declaration by a
Parliamentarian. Pertaining
to the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, consider adopting a
timetable for the implementation of the Commission for the Prevention of
Corruption as the designated authority under the Protected Disclosures
Act, 2011; implement an electronic system for the submission of
declarations by public servants; and implement a register of declared
interests in order to help identify potential conflicts of interest
between a public servant’s private interests and his or her public duty. With respect
to the Auditor General’s Department, consider concluding the approval
process by the Ministry of Finance and Planning and the Cabinet
regarding the proposed new organizational structure for this oversight
body; consider amending the Financial Administration and Audit Act so as
to eliminate the three year statute of limitation for the recovery of a
surcharge; and allow the Auditor General to report to the Office of the
Contractor General any procurement breaches it discovers when carrying
out an audit.
With regard to
the follow-up on the recommendations formulated to Some of the
recommendations still pending from the First Round or have been
reformulated address issues such as: encouraging the
implementation of a code of ethics for Senators and Members of the House
of Representatives, including mechanisms for violations; develop
provisions that limit participation by former public servants in
situations that could involve taking undue advantage of one’s status as
a former public servant for an appropriate period of time; establish
reporting obligations for those public officials and employees who are
currently not required to report to appropriate authorities, acts of
corruption in the performance of public functions of which they are
aware; and make public on the Access to Information Unit website, its
annual and quarterly reports. During this Twenty-Fourth Meeting, similar reports
were adopted for
For more information, please visit the Anti-corruption Portal of the Americas . |
Edition N° 188 - September 2014
The Mechanism For Follow-up on the
Implementation of the Inter-American
Convention against Corruption, known as MESICIC for its Spanish acronym, is a tool to
support the development of the Inter-American
Convention against Corruption through
cooperation between States Parties.
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