Vong Sokheng and Bridget Di Certo
Wednesday, 09 May 2012
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| Chhay Savuth, acting president of the Anti-Corruption Unit, speaks during a press conference in Phnom Penh yesterday Photograph: Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post |
The Anti-Corruption Unit has set its sights on illegal fees paid at the commune level and intends to stamp out a decades-old culture of bribery within the next four months, ACU officials announced yesterday.
At a press conference, acting ACU president Chhay Savuth said that 22 ministries would be involved in the new initiative that would examine 2,000 services offered at the commune and sangkat level.
“The Ministry of Economics and Finance will set up a scheduled fee for each type of public service,” Chhay Savuth said. “We have already started to work on these issues and expect to complete our work within three or four months.”
He stressed that under the Penal Code, there were severe prison sentences for government officials or individuals involved in bribery.
“The culture of bribery has been in place for over 20 years, and now we have to illuminate a bad culture and change it to a good culture, and we will take legal action against any government official who continues to take bribes,” he added.
At a press conference, acting ACU president Chhay Savuth said that 22 ministries would be involved in the new initiative that would examine 2,000 services offered at the commune and sangkat level.
“The Ministry of Economics and Finance will set up a scheduled fee for each type of public service,” Chhay Savuth said. “We have already started to work on these issues and expect to complete our work within three or four months.”
He stressed that under the Penal Code, there were severe prison sentences for government officials or individuals involved in bribery.
“The culture of bribery has been in place for over 20 years, and now we have to illuminate a bad culture and change it to a good culture, and we will take legal action against any government official who continues to take bribes,” he added.
One of the first targets of the ACU after its formation in late 2010 was facilitation fees – a bribe paid to a government official to receive a public service such as road repairs or company registrations.
Chhay Savuth said the ACU was also appealing to individual NGOs, political parties, and associations who wish to fight bribery at the commune level to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the ACU to monitor bribery in a commune of their choice.
He called for NGOs and political parties to apply with the ACU for an MoU between May and October this year.
“The NGO and political party will need to employ their own human resources and budget to facilitate services for the people and monitor illegal fee paying within their commune,” he explained.
Transparency International Cambodia Executive Director Kol Preap welcomed the ACU’s move to work with civil society.
“NGOs will complement the role of the authorities and hold the authorities accountable, but the legitimate power and those who can implement regulations will be the government and the authorities,” Kol Preap said. TI has called corruption in Cambodia “systemic”.
“People become part of the problem when they proactively pay bribes without being asked. This is what is meant by systemic,” Kol Preap said. “This is one of the main issues – people don’t realize that exchanging an envelope for a service is part of corruption.”
Opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua of the Sam Rainsy Party said the government had lagged behind in identifying commune-level corruption as an important issue in the Kingdom.
“Corruption at the local level as been a huge problem for the poor for a long time,” Mu Sochua said, adding it was one of the core issues the SRP party intended to tackle.
“I hope it is the same for them, but we are 27 days away from an election right now,” Mu Sochua said. “I am a bit afraid that this is about the campaign and not addressing something that is rotten at the core.”
Chhay Savuth said the ACU was also appealing to individual NGOs, political parties, and associations who wish to fight bribery at the commune level to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the ACU to monitor bribery in a commune of their choice.
He called for NGOs and political parties to apply with the ACU for an MoU between May and October this year.
“The NGO and political party will need to employ their own human resources and budget to facilitate services for the people and monitor illegal fee paying within their commune,” he explained.
Transparency International Cambodia Executive Director Kol Preap welcomed the ACU’s move to work with civil society.
“NGOs will complement the role of the authorities and hold the authorities accountable, but the legitimate power and those who can implement regulations will be the government and the authorities,” Kol Preap said. TI has called corruption in Cambodia “systemic”.
“People become part of the problem when they proactively pay bribes without being asked. This is what is meant by systemic,” Kol Preap said. “This is one of the main issues – people don’t realize that exchanging an envelope for a service is part of corruption.”
Opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua of the Sam Rainsy Party said the government had lagged behind in identifying commune-level corruption as an important issue in the Kingdom.
“Corruption at the local level as been a huge problem for the poor for a long time,” Mu Sochua said, adding it was one of the core issues the SRP party intended to tackle.
“I hope it is the same for them, but we are 27 days away from an election right now,” Mu Sochua said. “I am a bit afraid that this is about the campaign and not addressing something that is rotten at the core.”
To contact the reporters on this story: Vong Sokheng at sokheng.vong@phnompenhpost.com
Bridget Di Certo at bridget.dicerto@phnompenhpost.com
16 comments:
nice to hear but will watch it closely, why CPP act like this because the commun election come soon, After election CPP will do the same like the past.
Anti-Corruption Unit (Chhay Savuth and your President) take the advice from an old woman, to be effective you need to start cleaning up the culture of bribery from Hun Sen first and then work your way down the rank.
Only if you have the gut to do so, but I don’t think you do because you owe him your job.
And everybody knows that it is just a joke.
There is one lucrative place for corruption, or should I say, extortion. That is the Ministry of Interior and, by extension, Foreign Affairs where foreign nationals went to apply for marriage with Cambodian citizens. The official fee is $200 but people will pay somewhere between $1000 to $1300 to get all the paper works done. So, if ACU wanted to know how serious it is, just enlist a would-be Korean groom to record every payment he made while going through the process and see how much money he paid at the end.
Good luck with the effort
“The culture of bribery has been in place for over 20 years, and now we have to illuminate a bad culture and change it to a good culture, and we will take legal action against any government official who continues to take bribes,” he added.
Isnt that because under the Hun Sen government, since 1979, the country is still a lawless country, full of corruption and bribery. What ACU needs to do is investigate all claim made against the CPP and Hun Sen starting with Hun Sen and his families.
“The culture of bribery has been in place for over 20 years, and now we have to illuminate a bad culture and change it to a good culture, and we will take legal action against any government official who continues to take bribes,” he added.
Isnt that because under the Hun Sen government, since 1979, the country is still a lawless country, full of corruption and bribery. What ACU needs to do is investigate all claim made against the CPP and Hun Sen starting with Hun Sen and his families.
Anti-Corruption Unit will be completed when I die or kill by CPP.
I smell a rotten fish already. They play this game over and over again for the past 30 years. Are we going to fall into this same tricks again? I hope not.
We should be "fool proof" by now. And you know what? In the next few days or weeks, you will hear more and more great plans from the CPP. A lot of us will start to receive "Sarong, Bechain, & Pra-hock etc..." therefore, don't forget to vote for the CPP.
So, Mr. Chhay Savuth, if you are honestly going to implement this ACU, We would love to see you start from the TOP. Lets keep your words, don't be like your boss bragging about cutting off his own head... No one is listening now.
US Khmer
IT'S TIME TO PAY EXCISE TAX !! ACU SHOULD HAVE DIRECTIVE TO DETER
TAX COLLECTERS FROM ASKING TOO MUCH LUNCH MONEY . THERE , IT IS
MORE CORRUPT THAN IN THE COMMUNES OR SANGKATS .
Hun Sen never punish for bribery, corruptions, money laundering, paid his grandchildren a million dollars each, etc.
ACU, TALK SMOOTH BUT ACTION BULL SHIT!
This land is mafia state and under Youn controll. Talking about of Kampuchea, the Vietnam oversea in USA or in EU said that Kampuchea belong to them, not Khmer any more. Neuly the Vietnam airlines use Angkor Watt for their airlines, in France and in Germany.
Khmer will be soon as new Champa if all Khmer allow CPP leads the country
Chhay Savuth is Yuon (just look at his face) and an insider of Hun Sen. Come on, we expect the corrupted ones to fight corruption,,LOL.
12:47AM, VN WILL PAY A PRICE FOR THEIR OWN GAIN! NO CPP!
1:07 AM,
I think like you too brother, he is really Youn face.
his name is not Chhay Savuth. his real name maybe youn name. Why?
In Vietname has a school to educated the vietnamesse students born in Vietnam but they have ID-Khmer. After their stady their Viet Govt. send to Cambodia for leading in the commun or every where in the Hun Xen administration.
Chhay Savuth is NOT Khmer. He is Youn. Hun Sen is a Youn Slave!
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