|
Year
|
Pledge
|
Present Position
|
|
Action Completed
|
|
1996
|
1.
|
To increase public awareness of corruption prevention services in 1997-98 by approaching all scheduled public bodies under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance to offer corruption prevention assistance and by widely publicising such services in the private sector.
|
We have approached all scheduled public bodies in writing offering our corruption prevention service. We have established formal liaison channels with 42 public bodies to agree on a programme of corruption prevention work. We have set up a corruption prevention hotline which has been publicised, mainly through a television advertisement.
|
|
1996
|
2.
|
To define in 1997-98 the criteria by which public bodies are included in the Schedule to the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and examine, also in 1997-98, whether bodies currently included in the Schedule meet the criteria and whether other bodies should be included.
|
We have defined the criteria by which public bodies are included and examined the current schedule. A few bodies require deletion due to organisational or technical changes. The remaining ones meet the criteria and will be retained. New organisations which meet the criteria are being identified in consultation with
policy bureaux.
|
|
1996
|
3.
|
To advise property management companies and their employers (mainly owners' corporations) in 1997-98 on preventing corruption while complying with the Building Management Ordinance. This measure will help tackle the large number of complaints involving building management, which in 1995 accounted for 18% of all private sector corruption cases.
|
We have sent letters to all property management companies and owners' corporations offering corruption prevention service. This initiative has resulted in advice being given to property management companies and owners' corporations on 55 occasions.
|
|
1995
|
4.
|
To continue to strengthen the Government's ability to prevent corruption in the civil service
by extending the "Support
Clean Government" programme
started in 1995-96 from senior
operational management to middle management and front-line levels.
|
We have so far organised some 50 seminars for around 4 000 middle managers since the implementation of the programme. We distributed a pocket-size telephone notebook carrying key anti-corruption messages to about 150?00 front-line civil servants. Phase II of the programme was completed in July 1997.
|
|
Action in Progress: On Schedule
|
|
1996
|
5.
|
To implement Phase II of the Business Ethics Campaign by assisting those companies which have formulated codes of conduct under Phase I of the Campaign to promulgate the codes to their staff.
|
Up to September 1997, we have conducted talks on business ethics
and anti-corruption laws for the
staff of some 1?00 listed and major companies which have formulated codes of conduct. |
|
1996
|
6.
|
To continue to identify areas of work in government departments and public bodies which are prone to corruption and recommend improvements to prevent corruption. To complete 100 assignments in 1996-97, targeting those departments and organisations where the risk of corruption is the greatest.
|
Areas with corruption potential are identified by following up on Operations Department investigations and by actively liaising with government departments and public bodies.
In 1996-97, we completed
103 assignment reports with recommendations to prevent corruption and to improve systems.
|
|
1996
|
7.
|
To step up anti-corruption advice to public bodies in 1997-98. |
In the 12-month period ending September 1997, we have completed 40 detailed corruption prevention studies for public bodies.
|
|
1996
|
8.
|
To launch a campaign in 1997-98 to enhance the standard of work ethics in the community by providing staff training for around 1?00 large companies. To organise activities in 1997-98 to promote codes of conduct, ways to handle ethical dilemmas and knowledge of anti-corruption laws.
|
We conducted talks on work ethics for front-line workers of some 1?00 large companies. Training packages on work ethics for young people, banking
staff and real estate agents were produced. We have also assisted 19 companies to organise "ethical award scheme" projects.
|
|
1996
|
9.
|
To conduct regular directorate-level meetings with each of the disciplined services in 1997-98 to ensure that a high level of attention is paid to corruption prevention work and to reach an agreement on anti-corruption strategies. |
We have held ten directorate-level meetings with the disciplined services and reached agreement on anti-corruption strategies and corruption prevention work.
|
|
1996
|
10.
|
To enhance the transparency of the ICAC and foster closer ties with the community in 1997-98 through launching the second phase of
the "Towards the Community Campaign". To :
|
|
|
|
|
-
organise district projects such as carnivals and exhibitions in housing estates;
|
We organised some 40 projects in large public/private housing estates.
|
|
|
|
-
publish a monthly ICAC newspaper; and
|
ICAC newspapers have been published on a monthly basis starting January 1997. The contents include interesting ICAC cases and recent preventive education activities.
|
|
|
|
-
set up an ICAC Homepage on the Internet.
|
The ICAC Homepage has been set up. Contents will be updated as and when necessary.
|
|
1996
|
11.
|
To promote positive values and attitudes among young people in 1997-98 by boosting moral education in academic institutions. To achieve this by:
|
|
|
|
|
-
joining forces with organisations such as schools, youth agencies and the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education; and
|
We produced three issues of civic education supplementary reading materials for parents and kindergarten pupils. We have also conducted a total of 1?60 talks
for Form 5 students, tertiary
students and graduating students of
technical institutes.
|
|
|
|
-
enlisting the support of parents and teachers in helping
to develop positive values amongst young people.
|
We completed Volume 1 of the civic education package for young people which is expected to be used in the coming academic year. Promotional pamphlets to enlist the support of parents and teachers in helping to develop positive values amongst young people were distributed.
|
|
1996
|
12.
|
To assist the new Estate Agents Authority to formulate systems and procedures in 1997-98 to minimise opportunities for corruption in the real estate industry.
|
We have held preliminary discussions with the Housing Bureau whilst awaiting establishment of the Estate Agents Authority.
|
|
1995
|
13.
|
To extend our Business Ethics Campaign from the management to the working level (particularly young workers) in 1996-97 to promote ethics among young people and to equip them with the ability to cope with ethical dilemmas in their place of work.
|
We offered assistance in the form of either a small sum of financial subsidy or technical support to some 200 companies (which have formulated codes of conduct and employed a large number of young staff) and 15 youth and voluntary agencies to organise about 200 projects to promote work ethics for their staff and young workers.
|
|
1994
|
14.
|
To assist in introducing business and professional ethics training into the curricula of tertiary institutions starting in the 1995 academic year.
|
Up to September 1997, we have introduced business and professional ethics into the curricula of business and related faculties as well as other professional fields of law, surveying, architecture, engineering and medicine.
|
|
On-going Commitment
|
|
1996
|
15.
|
The Hong Kong Ethics Development Centre to provide corruption prevention services to its clients through newsletters, training videos, courses and tailor-made packages. The Centre to launch in late 1996 a targeted corruption prevention programme in various business fields such as accountancy and marketing, in co-operation with leading chambers of commerce and professional bodies.
|
Since its opening, around 2?00 persons have used the services of the Centre. The Centre has published eight issues of a newsletter with a circulation of
40?00 copies. The Centre has launched its targeted corruption prevention programme in late 1996; training seminars for accountants and sales and marketing managers were organised. |
|
Year
|
Pledge
|
Present Position
|
|
Action Completed
|
|
1996
|
1.
|
To install a local area computer network and set up a new
research group in the Operations Department in 1996-97 to improve the efficiency of our investigation teams.
|
We have established a research
group and installed the local area
computer network.
|
|
1996
|
2.
|
To ensure in 1997-98 that the senior management of the disciplined services are fully briefed on current trends in corruption, and improve operational co-operation between the ICAC and other disciplined services by expanding our programme of high-level liaison in 1997-98.
|
We have commenced holding Operational Liaison Group meetings with all the disciplined services at directorate level on a half-yearly basis, to exchange information, enhance co-operation and assist the services in developing anti-corruption strategies.
|
|
1996
|
3.
|
To keep abreast of changing opportunities for corruption in 1997-98 by further enhancing our new research group in the Operations Department and looking into the need for, and feasibility of, new computer systems to support the group in this task. This will strengthen our capability to develop appropriate anti-corruption strategies. |
We have established a strategic intelligence research unit and installed an intelligence computer analysis system. The unit and equipment have enabled us to process systematically and analyse intelligence generated from reports made by members of the public and from the implementation of our proactive strategy which includes enhanced liaison with other government departments and increased undercover operations and informant handling.
|
|
1996
|
4.
|
To improve our ability to investigate reports of corruption in 1997-98
by adjusting the structure of
our Operations Department to
include more front-line and less
supervisory staff.
|
Following a review of the department's organisation, we have implemented a number of proposals which have increased the number of front-line investigators from 279 to 319 by internal redeployment of resources. At the
same time we have streamlined and
improved our legal, policy and other
support services.
|
|
1996
|
5.
|
To seek to identify corrupt acts at an early stage by adopting a proactive approach instead of mainly responding to complaints in 1997-98.
|
We have developed a co-ordinated, proactive strategy to identify unreported corruption, a key feature of which is the expansion of our undercover and informant handling programmes. As a result, we have initiated 26 undercover operations and prosecuted 38 persons since January 1997 as compared to four and 16 respectively in 1996. To underpin this strategy, four officers attended extensive undercover training in Canada and the United Kingdom. On their return they produced a manual to assist officers in such operations.
|
|
On-going Commitment
|
|
1996
|
6.
|
To combat corruption in the run-up to 1997 and beyond so as to preserve Hong Kong's competitive edge; to maintain a corruption-free Special Administrative Region with a clean, honest public service and a fair market environment.
|
As part of our anti-corruption strategy, we conducted two surveys to assess public perception on the corruption scene and public confidence in the effectiveness of the ICAC in the fight against corruption.
|
|
Year
|
Pledge
|
Present Position
|
|
Action Completed
|
|
1996
|
1.
|
To continue to find ways to make our systems more user-friendly and customer-oriented.
|
We have adopted the Victims Charter and published an ICAC brochure entitled "Rights of Witnesses in Cases of Alleged Corruption and Related Crime", to assist and advise complainants, victims and witnesses of corruption offences in the investigative process. In this regard, seven training sessions were organised for investigating officers.
|
|
1996
|
2.
|
To increase our openness
and accountability, without compromising our ability to combat corruption effectively.
|
Recognising the need to sustain public support through increased openness and accountability on our part, 15 press briefings have been held from October 1996 to September 1997, as compared to 9 for the previous 12 months. In addition, 75 interviews have been given by Operations Department senior officers to a variety of local and overseas media organisations.
|
|
1995
|
3.
|
To implement the recommendations of the ICAC Review Committee by legislative changes, by improving in-house procedures and by reorganising the structure of ICAC's advisory committees to improve supervision, transparency and accountability.
|
We have implemented all the recommendations on procedures and on the structure of our advisory committees. Furthermore, amendments to the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance became effective on 20 June 1997 when the powers of search, restraining properties and other coercive powers were transferred to the courts.
|
|
Action in Progress: On Schedule
|
|
1996
|
4.
|
To continue our territory-wide campaign to foster closer ties with the community. As part of this campaign:
|
|
|
|
|
-
to organise a series of presentations at the regional and district level on the work of the ICAC; and
|
We organised about 60 local presentations in regional offices
to introduce the work of the ICAC to
the public.
|
|
|
|
-
to introduce a television drama series to publicise our work.
|
We produced a television drama series to publicise our work. It was telecast from September to October 1996.
|
|
Action in Progress: A Pledge to Catch Up
|
|
1995
|
5.
|
To provide the public with information to enhance our accountability and transparency while preserving the necessary confidentiality of investigations.
|
We have put in place the procedures dealing with the provisions of the Code on Access to Information and Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, and displayed in all reception areas of the Commission publications concerning the ICAC's work. We published in June 1997 the first issue of a newsletter for anti-corruption agencies in the Pacific Rim and South East Asian regions.
We will also produce by November 1997 a video on the work of the Operations Department.
|
Progress Report