Prime minister launches 2017-2025 anti-corruption strategy

AMMAN — Prime Minister Hani Mulki on Thursday launched the "National Strategy for Integrity and Anti-Corruption 2017-2025", in pursuit of a national environment where the values of integrity and transparency prevail, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During a ceremony to mark the International Anti-Corruption Day, Mulki called on the Jordan Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission (JIACC) to implement its mandate.

The premier asked the commission to start scrutinising Prime Ministry departments' policies and procedures in terms of transparency of decisions, service quality, good governance, justice, equality, rule of law and anti-nepotism.

Mulki outlined Jordan’s anti-corruption measures and achievements so far, namely its membership in the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in 2003, the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commission in 2006 and the 1st regional conference sponsored by the UNDP in 2008 and hosted at the Dead Sea to discuss the UNCAC’s implementation in Arab countries.

He said that governmental policies and measures in the past few years have focused on revisiting the relevant legislation and establishing oversight commissions concerned with various fields such as food and drugs, standards and metrology, stock exchange, anti-money laundry and terrorism, in addition to the Audit Bureau.

The sixth Discussion Paper of His Majesty King Abdullah on the rule of law and the civil state, reflects Jordan’s determination to build a political-legal system of accountability, Mulki said.

For his part, JIACC President Mohammad Allaf said that Jordan is one of the UNCAC 180 member states, adding that Jordan’s anti-corruption expertise has witnessed a “quality” leap during this year. Allaf said that the development came in the form of the new Integrity and Anti-Corruption Law, merging and restructuring of concerned institutions, planning the 2017-2025 strategy and enhancing the concept of national integrity. 

Jordan has taken several reform measures, such as the drafting of Jordan Vision 2025 blueprint  and embracing the National Integrity Charter, despite  the present challenges, said Khalid Abdel Shafi, director of the UNDP regional centre in Amman.

Shafi noted that corruption costs the world’s economy billions, wasting around 17 per cent of some countries’ GDPs.

Jordan has adopted the international objectives in its national policy represented by the Jordan Vision 2025, he added.