NewsWhore
10-21-2010, 04:00 PM
Criticism of corruption in the Fernandez administration escalated last year, motivating President Leonel Fernandez to ask foreign governments and multilateral institutions to conduct a diagnostic exercise and make proposals to help the government combat corruption. Eleven public and private sector bodies and civil society organizations joined forces to work on the Participative Anti-Corruption Initiative (IPAC).
The group includes the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the United Nations Development Program, and the governments of the US, Spain and Canada.
The Participative Anti-Corruption Initiative (IPAC) presented 30 proposals to improve transparency in government. Their implementation will cost US$18 million, of which funding to the tune of US$12 million was offered by the consortium of international bodies. Roby Senderowitsch, speaking at the meeting, stressed that corruption was an obstacle to growth in the DR.
In his impromptu speech during the announcement of the working group's proposals, President Fernandez downplayed the levels of corruption in his government, preferring to make the point that corruption is everywhere. "The problem is that we need to overcome the culture of impunity in this country," said Fernandez. He said there is a perception that corruption has become a national cancer.
Fernandez skimmed over the issue of corruption in his government and focused on corruption in society in general. He mentioned cases like that of a private clinic that kept a man artificially alive to charge more, or of taxi drivers who overcharge foreigners, giving tourists the perception that the country is corrupt.
He reiterated his claim that there were only isolated cases, and that there was no promotion of generalized institutionalized corruption in his government.
"There is hyper-corruption, macro-corruption and micro-corruption. There is corruption of different kinds: in central and local governments, in justice, in society and services. That is the reality we are experiencing today," said the President in his spontaneous speech. He advocated promoting values in the family, for starters, in schools, university, church and social institutions.
In their findings, the international and national IPAC participants warned of the lack of commitment on the part of government officials to apply the Government Procurement Law. They said that less than 10% of tenders comply with Law 340-06. One of the measures that would reduce corruption suggested is that the Controller General should not authorize any government payment to providers that have not met the requirements of the law.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)
The group includes the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the United Nations Development Program, and the governments of the US, Spain and Canada.
The Participative Anti-Corruption Initiative (IPAC) presented 30 proposals to improve transparency in government. Their implementation will cost US$18 million, of which funding to the tune of US$12 million was offered by the consortium of international bodies. Roby Senderowitsch, speaking at the meeting, stressed that corruption was an obstacle to growth in the DR.
In his impromptu speech during the announcement of the working group's proposals, President Fernandez downplayed the levels of corruption in his government, preferring to make the point that corruption is everywhere. "The problem is that we need to overcome the culture of impunity in this country," said Fernandez. He said there is a perception that corruption has become a national cancer.
Fernandez skimmed over the issue of corruption in his government and focused on corruption in society in general. He mentioned cases like that of a private clinic that kept a man artificially alive to charge more, or of taxi drivers who overcharge foreigners, giving tourists the perception that the country is corrupt.
He reiterated his claim that there were only isolated cases, and that there was no promotion of generalized institutionalized corruption in his government.
"There is hyper-corruption, macro-corruption and micro-corruption. There is corruption of different kinds: in central and local governments, in justice, in society and services. That is the reality we are experiencing today," said the President in his spontaneous speech. He advocated promoting values in the family, for starters, in schools, university, church and social institutions.
In their findings, the international and national IPAC participants warned of the lack of commitment on the part of government officials to apply the Government Procurement Law. They said that less than 10% of tenders comply with Law 340-06. One of the measures that would reduce corruption suggested is that the Controller General should not authorize any government payment to providers that have not met the requirements of the law.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)