Corruption In Iraq & World

Transparency International now has an "Anti-Corruption Helpdesk to provide answers on anti-corruption topics - here is an example

This specific answer is related to finding examples of provisions inserted in trade agreements regarding anti-corruption. http://www.transparency.org/whatwedo/answer/anti_corruption_and_transparency_provisions_in_trade_agreements   Vance JochimTavares, FLVJTraveler@comcast.net

SIGAR Report: Land Reform - Impact & Sustainability of $41.2 Million USAID Program Unknown

Below is a new SIGAR report overview and it appears USAID screwed the pooch
again - mismanagement continues and SIGAR cannot verify they actually
accomplished anything in this $41-million program. USAID and State Dept.
don't care about effectiveness of spending, but just a good feeling. I
worked around them in Iraq for two years... I think AID programs for the US
should be removed from the State Dept. and made part of the military
outreach programs (i.e. CERT (?)) programs.

Vance Jochim
Lake County, FL Fiscal Watchdog
FiscalRangers.com
FiscalRangers@comcast.net

SIGAR January, 2017 Quarterly Report: Reflections on the U.S. Investment in Afghanistan

Vance Jochim
Lake County, FL Fiscal Watchdog
FiscalRangers.com
FiscalRangers@comcast.net

SIGAR Audit of USAID's $1.5 Billion Investment in Afghan Health Care Sector

-----Original Message-----
From: George-Nichol, Jennifer CIV (US)
[mailto:jennifer.george-nichol.civ@mail.mil]
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2017 10:00 AM
To: George-Nichol, Jennifer CIV (US)
Cc: LaVelle, Philip J CIV (US)
Subject: Audit of USAID's $1.5 Billion Investment in Afghan Health Care
Sector

Today, SIGAR released an audit report examining USAID's efforts to rebuild
Afghanistan's health care sector.

The report notes:

Review of wasteful USAID-Funded Health Facilities spending in Baghlan Province, Afghanistan

-----Original Message-----
From: George-Nichol, Jennifer CIV (US)
[mailto:jennifer.george-nichol.civ@mail.mil]
Sent: Monday, December 19, 2016 11:43 AM
To: George-Nichol, Jennifer CIV (US)
Cc: LaVelle, Philip J SES (US)
Subject: Review of USAID-Funded Health Facilities in Baghlan Province

Today, SIGAR released a review of USAID-supported health facilities in
Baghlan province, Afghanistan.

The letter notes:

SIGAR Review of $85 Million OPIC Project Finds Serious Deficiencies in Oversight & Management

This SIGAR report indicates OPIC, a US overseas development agency,
blundered in an $85-million loan to build a hotel in Afghanistan, and much
of it was fraudulent and work not completed. OPIC managers need to be
investigated why they did not monitor the construction better.
VJ

Review of Operational Status & Conditions at US-Funded Schools in Afghanistan

From: George-Nichol, Jennifer CIV (US)
[mailto:jennifer.george-nichol.civ@mail.mil]
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2016 11:32 AM
To: George-Nichol, Jennifer CIV (US)
Cc: LaVelle, Philip J SES (US)
Subject: Review of Operational Status & Conditions at US-Funded Schools in
Afghanistan

Today, SIGAR released a review of USAID-funded schools in Herat province,
Afghanistan. The review was initiated in order to determine the extent to
which schools were open and operational, and to assess their current
condition.

The report notes:

2016 London Anti-Corruption Summit just closed - 43 countries, 600 commitments and here is Transparency International's assessment

Sept. 12, 2016 This major anti-corruption summit in London is over. It was hosted by UK Prime Minister David Cameron. “Forty three countries from all global regions came to London in May for the Anti-Corruption Summit, a Summit intending to "put fighting corruption at the heart of our international institutions". They signed the Global Declaration against Corruption and made 600 country-specific Summit commitments.” Transparency International provided the database of all the specific, measurable improvement commitments by 43 countries.The also provided a link to a system to track just the UK’s commitments.I about gagged, however, when I saw in the picture that US Sec State John Kerry was in the center of the stage.I can remember when Al Gore hosted a similar summit but I could never find any documentation or reports on it. It came, went and was undocumented. TI rated the “commitments” from various countries based on their credibility. Many were “not ambitious” GO here to see TI’s overview, and links to the database of commitments and reports. Here are other articles on the Summit:https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/anti-corruption-summit-london-2016 BBC: Anti-corruption summit launches global plan to recover stolen assetshttp://www.bbc.com/news/business-36274302 The Economist: What David Cameron’s anti-corruption summit did and didn’t achievehttp://www.economist.com/news/international/21698740-step-right-direction-what-david-camerons-anti-corruption-summit-did-and-didnt “LANCASTER HOUSE, near Buckingham Palace in London, was used to film scenes for “National Treasure: Book of Secrets”, a Hollywood adventure starring Nicolas Cage. It was, therefore, a fitting venue for an international anti-corruption summit on May 12th. David Cameron, Britain’s prime minister and the host, has styled himself as a champion of transparency and efforts to stamp out the financial secrecy that allows public wealth to be looted and hidden using murky offshore arrangements. He has called corruption “the cancer at the heart of so many of the world’s problems” and “one of the greatest enemies of progress in our time”.” “Having already said it would become the first G20 country to set up a publicly accessible register of beneficial owners (the human beings behind shell companies), Mr Cameron’s government made another widely-trailed announcement this week: offshore shell companies and other foreign entities that buy or already own British property will have to declare their owners in the new register. So too will those bidding on government contracts. Foreign firms own more than 44,000 properties in London alone. A good proportion are assumed to have been bought with the proceeds of corruption.” For more articles, search on “2016 London Anti-corruption Summit” VJ

SIGAR Report: Gardez Hospital took 5 years and cost $14.5-million to complete but still needs fixes

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) performs inspections on construction projects funded with reconstruction funds. In this report, they investigated the construction of a hospital, and found many problems after 5-years. READ it here. Vance Jochim

Hong Kong Anti-Corruption Agency, ICAC, undergoing crisis

Hong Kong's famous anti-corruption agency, ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption),  is apparently undergoing an internal identity crisis according to the South China Morning Post. 

When I was at the Integrity Commission in Iraq in 2004-2006, it was based upon the ICAC success model.  ICAC was formed in 1974, many years before Hong Kong was returned to China Control.

"There are so many unanswered questions about the ICAC that are critical to the future of our city. Is the agency really starting to buckle under political pressure? With increasing integration between Hong Kong and mainland China, can the ICAC continue going after anyone at any time without stepping on the wrong toes? And where does it really fit into China’s much bigger anti-corruption drive, if it even fits at all?"

One comment is that they may be undergoing pressure from parent China to be more politically correct or "flexible".  China is now undergoing a massive anti-corruption drive initiated by the new leadership.

READ HERE more about ICAC's internal crisis in this opinion article from the South China Morning Post dated Aug. 4, 2016.

We wish ICAC good luck.  The Integrity Commission in Iraq is now a shell of the 1300 person agency we created in 2004-2006. 

Vance Jochim

Aug. 3, 2016