Premier says gov’t will further empower oversight agencies

AMMAN — Prime Minister Omar Razzaz has underlined his government’s commitment to strengthening oversight bodies and boosting their role in combatting corruption and preserving public money, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During his visit on Sunday to the Jordan Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission, where he met with its president, Mohammad Allaf and board members, the premier said that the government will work to enhance the agency’s independence and further empower it to play its role in promoting integrity and fighting corruption according to clear criteria and transparent rules.

While stressing the importance of respecting the principles of “innocent until proven guilty” and protecting people’s reputations against rumours and defamation, the prime minister stressed the need to fully enforce the law and punish those found guilty by the judiciary in cases of corruption.

At the meeting, also attended by Government Coordinator for Human Rights Basil Tarawneh, Razzaz urged the anti-graft body to handle the cases it deals with professionally. He said that this is “the only way to bridge the gap in trust between citizens, the government and its institutions”.

He pointed out the importance of reaching a correct equation that ensures balance between authority that is crippled by bureaucracy and discretionary authority that allows the exercise of powers, but with clear transparency and justifiable reasons for each decision taken.

Razzaz said that His Majesty King Abdullah asked the government in the Letter of Designation to implement a clear plan aimed for a “comprehensive national revival”, stressing that this project needs  to focus on restoring trust between citizens and government and civil society institutions, transparency and openness and launching a dialogue regarding key decisions, in addition to holding to account those who fail to do their jobs.

For his part, Allaf said the prime minister’s visit was an “opportunity to establish and strengthen the mechanisms of action” related to the mandate of the anti-corruption body through cooperation between state institutions and the commission.

Promoting integrity, he said, requires concerted efforts, adding that Jordan is at the threshold of a new era in which pending issues that have left a negative impact on society are being addressed.

Allaf reviewed the main challenges facing the commission’s work and its future plans and programmes, both in terms of policies and legislation, stressing that the agency applies the rules of good governance.