‘I don’t accept bribes’ Campaign: Strengthening Fiji's civil service
Suva (Fiji), 26 February 2021 - Fiji’s nationwide campaign aimed at building a civil service immune to bribery will begin next week.
The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC), in partnership with the United Nations Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption (UN-PRAC) Project, launched the ‘I don’t accept bribes’ campaign on 9 December 2020 in Suva on International Anti-Corruption Day, with the presence of the highest political leadership.
This campaign will see all civil servants undergo a thorough anti-bribery training conducted by FICAC’s Corruption Prevention team.
Following the training, each participant will receive their ‘I don’t accept bribes’ badge that they are expected to wear with pride, as it also serves as a promise to not engage or entertain the corrupt practice of bribery. The badge is also intended to show the commitment to public service excellence by all public servants.
All Government institutions and statutory bodies will be visited by FICAC throughout the year to receive their training and badge.
FICAC Deputy Commissioner Rashmi Aslam has reminded all civil servants of the important role they play in creating an anti-bribery culture within the workforce.
“Your awareness and active participation in this anti-bribery campaign is key to preventing bribery and corruption,” he said.
He also stressed that bribery is the most prevalent form of corruption and is a crime against the nation.
“That is why this campaign is so important and it will only be successful if you, as civil servants, are open to embracing and carrying out all your duties with utmost integrity,” said Mr. Aslam.
”The implementation of the campaign is very important in the context of ensuring transparent, accountable and efficient service delivery to all citizens of Fiji. It is also important for its full alignment with the Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) commitments related to substantial reduction of corruption and bribery in all their forms,” said Levan Bouadze, Resident Representative for the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji.
”The campaign also speaks to Fiji’s commitments under the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) Articles 7 on the public sector and 15 on the active and passive forms of bribery of national public officials,” added Julien Garsany, UNODC Deputy Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
The ‘I don’t accept bribes’ training will occur simultaneously throughout the country within the different organisations and is scheduled to begin on Monday 1 March with the Land Transport Authority (LTA). It will cover a total of 82 institutions in the period from March to December 2021.
The UN-PRAC Project is a joint initiative by UNODC and UNDP supported by the Australian Government and the New Zealand Aid Programme.
