Former Pakistani PM arrested / Cambodia speeds up business registrations / Blockchain to fight government procurement corruption
Former Pakistani PM Abbasi arrested by anti-graft agency. “Pakistan's anti-corruption agency arrested former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday (Jul 18), drawing a furious response from opposition parties, which accused the government of trying to silence its opponents. The National Accountability Bureau said in a statement Abbasi had been arrested in a case that was opened last year over a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal project. The arrest, as Abbasi was on his way to a news conference in the eastern city of Lahore, adds to a political scene already thick with accusations of corruption and abuse of office with opposition parties planning a day of protest next week.”
Cambodia speeds up business registrations with new system. Cambodia has launched a new online business registration system to reduce the time taken to start a company from three months to just eight days. Cambodian anti-corruption campaigner San Chey said he hoped the simpler digital system would help reduce corruption, but called for further measures, like a watchdog to help businesses. "An ombudsman office (could) be created to help them during the registration," said Chey, who is also executive director of the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability.
New Strait Times: https://www.nst.com.my/world/region/2020/06/601522/cambodia-speeds-business-registrations-new-system
World Economic Forum trials blockchain to fight government procurement corruption. “Governments spend roughly $9.5 trillion (15% of global GDP) a year on procurement contracts. The OECD estimates that 10-30% of the value of those contracts is lost through corruption and mismanagement. By eliminating bid rigging, procurement prices could be reduced by 20%. In its report, the World Economic Forum gives the example of Latin American construction firm Odebrecht, which went bankrupt after it was found to have paid $800 million in government bribes. And Brazilian state-owned banks owned a majority of the firm’s $25.3 billion debt at the time of the bankruptcy.”