Premier Lai reaffirms Taiwan’s commitment to promoting clean governance

2018/06/27

Taiwan is sparing no effort in promoting clean governance through such wide-ranging measures as amending financial regulations and compiling the first national report on the implementation of the U.N. Convention against Corruption, according to Premier Lai Ching-te June 25.
 
 The report was published in April and the government has invited a panel of foreign scholars to share their opinions and recommendations at an event scheduled for August in Taipei City. This process will inform future efforts to strengthen integrity throughout the public and private sectors, as well as demonstrate to the international community Taiwan’s resolve in applying UNCAC, Lai said.
 
 The premier made the remarks at the opening of the Asia Pacific Integrity Conference and Transparency International Regional Annual Meeting in Taipei. Organized by TI Taiwan, the four-day event brings together local officials and 38 representatives of the watchdog from 17 countries and territories.
 
 Participants include Minister of Justice Chiu Tai-san, Agency Against Corruption Director-General Chu Chia-chi and Joe Y. C. Wu, president of Taipei-based Shih Hsin University, as well as TI Chairperson Delia Ferreira Rubio, board member AJ Brown and Managing Director Patricia Moreira. This marks the first time the nation has hosted an international nongovernmental organization conference on clean governance.
 
 According to Lai, recent milestones from Taiwan’s efforts in this regard include the establishment of the AAC under the Ministry of Justice in 2011, the incorporation of UNCAC into domestic law last year, and the tightening of restrictions under the Money Laundering Control Act, also in 2016.
 
 Taiwan has also worked with Interpol in fighting cross-border crime in areas like bribery and fraud, the premier added. Such efforts help explain the nation’s rise to 29th—its best performance for 15 years—in the most recent edition of the Corruption Perceptions Index released in February by Berlin-based TI.
 
 Constant vigilance is a fundamental requirement in promoting clean governance, Lai said, adding that going forward Taiwan will work to build on its recent achievements in strengthening related policies and regulations.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=2&post=136809)