The current global pressure on resources means curbing the trillion-dollar cost of corruption is “more important than ever”, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, has said.
Speaking from the Seychelles today, the Secretary-General called for “swift and decisive action” to curb the illicit flow of money out of Commonwealth countries and to “build confidence that our institutions and systems in the Commonwealth are corruption-free”.
The COVID-19 pandemic created an environment that was ripe for embezzlement, false claims, kickbacks, and other forms of corruption. The post-pandemic global downturn, rising costs and pressure on resources, has made Commonwealth countries, particularly small states and developing nations, even more vulnerable to the impact of corruption. This crime often sees aid money lost to crime, undermining social and economic development.
‘Corruption costs us quality of life’
On Monday (15th May), the Secretary-General joined Anti-Corruption heads from across Commonwealth Africa for the start of the 13th Annual Commonwealth Regional Anti-Corruption Conference.
The conference, organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat in partnership with the Seychelles Anti-Corruption Commission, is a focal point for the Association of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa (set up by the Commonwealth Secretariat in 2013) to meet, discuss and formulate actions to collaboratively tackle systemic corruption and the illicit flow of funds out of the continent.
Opening the event, the Secretary-General said: “While we tend to think of corruption in purely monetary terms, the truth is that it costs us the quality of our lives. No country, region or community is immune.
“It damages education, health, justice, democracy, prosperity and development – and it is one of the biggest impediments to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
“Tackling corruption brings multiple benefits; poverty is reduced, economic stability and growth are increased, and standards of living are raised.”
Trillion-dollar cost of corruption
Each year corruption and illicit financial flows cost the global economy US$3.6 trillion, according to the UN.
A trillion US$ is paid in bribes while an estimated US$2.6 trillion are stolen annually through corruption – a sum equivalent to more than five per cent of the global GDP.
In developing countries, according to the United Nations Development Programme, funds lost to corruption are estimated at 10 times the amount of official development assistance.
It was estimated that Africa loses more than US$50 billion a year to illicit flows, although this could be as high as $89 billion a year, or 3.7% of its GDP, according to UNCTAD’s Economic Development in Africa Report 2020.
Over the past 50 years, Africa has lost more than US$1 trillion equivalent to all the official development assistance received during the same period.
Since women and girls often have less access to health and education, they suffer most from the impact of corruption on aid budgets and government spending.
‘Decisive action’ needed to make Commonwealth corruption free
The Secretary-General added: “We need to take swift and decisive action to improve transparency and accountability, and to build confidence that our institutions and systems in the Commonwealth are corruption-free.
“Together, we can work towards… an approach which allows us to examine how tax authorities, anti-money laundering authorities and anti-corruption agencies can collaborate to solve this monumental challenge.
“And an approach which can enable international collaboration to track ill-gotten money and following through more opaque jurisdictions.”
The opening of the conference was attended by President of the Seychelles, HE Wavel Ramkalawan.
He said: “The challenges we face in combatting corruption call for a broad collaboration of agencies, stakeholders, experts and citizens. We do this well, but we could always do it better.
“I look to every individual in this room today, as well as those watching and listening at home and at work around the Commonwealth for help and support in that quest. We are all gathered for a reason: To come together as one family united through common aspirations; that is, the fight against corruption and the battle we endure when corruption tries to fight back.”
Also speaking at the opening, May de Silva, Head of the Seychelles’ Anti-Corruption Commission, said: “It is important for us to fight corruption, but it is equally important for us to unite when corruption fights back. Let us unite in sharing our experience, skills and resources.”
Commonwealth anti-corruption work
The Commonwealth Secretariat is providing practical technical assistance and development support to help national anti-corruption agencies in Commonwealth countries build their effectiveness in dealing with corruption.
This began in 2013 with the creation of the Association of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa to enable the collaborative sharing of expertise and best-practices. The same year the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Government of Botswana opened the first continent-wide Commonwealth Anti-Corruption Centre in Gaborone to provide practical guidance and training to officials across Commonwealth Africa.
The Commonwealth Anti-Corruption Benchmarks – a landmark set of measures to support international efforts in tackling corruption – was launched in 2021.
Patricia!, Patricia!, you think the world has forgotten the myriad of corruption that serves as a red carpet to your ascending to be Secretary General of the Commonwealth? Even your reelection was mired in scandals. Woman be silent on corruption and let people who aren’t tainted speak up.
You started off by buying Skerritt with bogus honorary doctorates and you rewarded him by coming to Dominica to tell a large segment of the electorate to “go suck salt”. Then sh.. the fan and the Royal family wasn’t in favor of your return to the high position of Secretary General. You came to Dominica with your sister following hurricane Maria “nepotism at its highest) and promised pie in the sky. Where are the fruits after 6 years? Start by examining yourself and your conscience Patricia. Your tool, Skerritt, who is neck deep in corruption in Dominica let’s see if you can scrub him clean. If you can’t or won’t clean yourself and “I’m-the-people ” leader just shut up.
Journalists and the media have an important role to play in curbing corruption more particularly in the public service/ government. Every corrupt public figure should be exposed, brought before a court of law, if found guilty, fined and jailed.
Corruption is so rampant in the Caribbean, specifically in Dominica. We have heard about money laundering in the public service, illicit selling of driver’s licences, unauthorised taking of fees for work permits. No one has been prosecuted for these blatant corrupt practices in recent times.
Sadly, there are no investigated journalists in Dominica. Consequently, Roosevelt and his mercenary disciples can engage in corrupt practices with immunity.
There are no strong watchdog institutions in Dominica to guard against corruption. The absence of these institutions is the reason for public officials to commit corruption with impunity. If this impunity is not demolished, all efforts to stop corruption will be in vain.
She is a good one to talk… I’ll leave it at that.
Yes let’s start with the political leaders first, these are the ones doing it for the past 20 years. It’s not the little man doing it. Just mouth talk and no action. On another note Rubis is back why isn’t no one taking about this. All the bad mouthing that the big boy said about them. He mush be so ashamed now.
Let us be honest, Dominica has one of the most corrupt political systems in the world where the Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit personally pays bribes to candidates to run for the Labour party. This is done so openly and brazenly that it has now become a part of Dominica Labour party political culture, a bit like encouraging illegal travelling through the backdoor is now a part of our culture as stated by Labour party ministers. Corruption is so everyday business in Dominica that the people do not even notice it or are bothered by it. Everyone associated with the Labour party are just too happy to receive their cool-out money handed out by ministers and no one cares where that money comes from. Just ask Mel and her crew! We all know it but pretend not to!
The issue of CORRUPTION is both timely and of utmost significance at this moment in our governance. Nowhere is it more important than in Dominica.
Whenever there is widespread poverty and gross underdevelopment in a country, corruption is the primary cause. Dominica is languishing at the bottom in the OECS in terms of development and standard of living. This is a telltale sign of CORRUPTION.
In any corrupt country, transparency and accountability is blatantly lacking. The government operates in darkness. There is no bidding for public contracts. The police and justice systems are used in tandem to stifle protest and harass and jail opponents of the government. This is exactly what obtains in Dominica today.
There is a crisis of governance, not only in Dominica, but throughout CARICOM. High unemployment, indebtedness, crime rate, widespread poverty are common factors.
People’s indifference is the best fertile ground for corruption to grow. Arise Dominicans!