Somalia’s National Economic Council has appealed to the government to urgently put in place the anti-corruption committee to speed up the fight against graft.
Speaking during the third annual Somali National Economic Forum, Dr. Ali Issa Abdi, NEC Executive Director stressed the need for the federal government of Somalia’s in its commitments towards an independent Anti-corruption Commission to be established expeditiously.
Dr. Abdi added that the commission must be accorded with prosecution powers and staffed with the necessary resources as soon as possible.
A communique issued following the two days’ extensive discussions on economic reforms, fiscal federalism as well as cooperation between various levels of government towards fight on corruption also called for the judiciary which is the guardian of laws and integrity to be strengthened, to ensure that those accused of mismanagement of public funds and corruption are investigated and tried in a transparent and fair manner.
The Forum also noted the need of raising public awareness on mismanagement of public funds and corruption by educating and involving the public in building as a culture of integrity, transparency, and accountability while engaging with institutions that work on corruption such as Transparency International to study and address the underlining factors that trigger Somalia’s low ranking on the Corruption Perceptions Index.
International Anti-Corruption Day is observed annually on 9 December with the aim of raising awareness of corruption and the role the Convention plays in combating and preventing it.
