Donal Fariz says collaborative engagement between Taiwanese society and its government underpins the nation’s good governance model.
“This is what we need to implement in Southeast Asia,” says the program manager at Indonesia Corruption Watch.
While the region continues impressive economic growth, corruption remains one of its greatest challenges with only two of ASEAN’s 10-member states scoring above 50 out of 100 (where 100 is very clean and 0 highly corrupt) in Transparency International’s 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index.
Photo: Lee Hsin-fang, Taipei Times
Fariz says the nation should promote its good governance practices through its New Southbound Policy projects and take the anti-corruption movement from a national to a regional playing field.
REGIONAL PROBLEM
Fariz says Indonesia struggles to contain vote buying in elections, a widespread phenomenon in developing countries. He adds that bringing cases against corrupt officials is often difficult due to police inaction.
Photo courtesy of Donal Fariz
“Establishing legal frameworks that reliably deliver on justice is very important for developing countries,” Fariz says.
Cynthia Gabriel, founder of Malaysia’s Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism, says that though her country has enjoyed strong economic growth for many years, the recent depreciation of the ringgit has caused her fellow citizens to feel the pinch of embezzled public funds.
“They are the ones paying for the crimes of those in power,” Gabriel says.
Photo courtesy of Citizens congress watch
Gabriel, whose organization has linked up with similar groups in Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia, says that NGOs in the region must work together because ASEAN still has a way to go in creating the shared legal frameworks needed to counter cross-border corruption, which is endemic to many Southeast Asian countries.
She adds that enforcement across different jurisdictions is impractical, which allows corrupt individuals hiding in safe havens to often go unpunished.
“There is now a real need to tackle corruption at a regional scale,” she says.
Fariz says that forming such networks is possible because civic groups across the region have a common purpose in fighting corruption. This, Fariz adds, stands in stark contrast to Southeast Asia’s governments, whose interests regarding financial regulation often diverge or even conflict — for example the repatriation of profits.
“Civil society should ... lead the effort to combat cross-border corruption across the region,” he says.
THE TAIWAN MODEL
Gabriel says Taiwan has built strong check-and-balance mechanisms as well as platforms for transparency that have resulted in high levels of institutional independence, something many Southeast Asian countries lack.
“It is very thought-provoking to consider Taiwan as a model of good governance,” Gabriel says, “especially now that the nation is increasing its presence in our region.”
She says Taiwanese companies established in Southeast Asia should not only adhere to local laws, but also bring their own best practices, which she hopes will raise the region’s levels of corporate governance particularly in regards to labor laws and conflicts of interest.
In last year’s World Press Freedom Report, published by RSF, Taiwan was ranked 45 out of 180 countries, and the highest in Asia.
Cedric Alviani, director of Reporters Sans Frontieres’ (RSF) Taipei-based Asia bureau, says the nation’s high level of press freedom is a bastion of its democracy and a boon in combating corruption.
Alviani says Taiwan’s example disproves the myth that an authoritarian regime delivers greater economic development.
Taiwanese organizations, he adds, should stand by their values and choose business partners in Southeast Asia that uphold press freedoms.
“Taiwan must set an example and export its good practices,” Alviani says.
room for improvement
Activists, however, also see room for improvement to combat corruption at home.
Gabriel says Taiwan needs to focus on government procurement and ensure the transparent awarding of infrastructure contracts.
She adds that government procurement remains a challenge, especially in light of the recent Ching Fu Shipbuilding (慶富造船) scandal, and Taiwan needs to pay particular attention to it.
“Government procurements need to be more subject to public scrutiny,” she says.
“Open contracting” is one solution, Gabriel suggests, a practice where government contract information is made open and accessible so as to engage citizens and businesses in identifying problems. She says this would shine a light on personal connections between potential awardees and relevant authorities and help minimize the risk of malfeasance.
Fariz adds that as the nation’s Corruption Perceptions Index is measured from a survey of international business people, developing due diligence tools and transparency mechanisms for the private sector will help increase its score from 2016’s 61 out of 100.
By actively promoting good governance practices through its New Southbound Policy, Taiwan can both improve the region’s overall business environment and raise its profile as a model for democracy. Given the strength of the nation’s civil society, non-government organizations should be at the forefront of this effort and look to learn from their peers in the region on how to boost transparency further in Taiwan.
“Raising transparency levels together… creates a symbiotic relationship that is mutually beneficial process for all countries involved,” Fariz says.
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