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Doing Business 2020: Pace of Business Climate Reforms Slows in East Asia and Pacific Region.   “the region still underperforms in several areas, such as contract enforcement, where there is need for more widespread adoption of international best practices including alternative dispute resolution systems and the creation of specialized commercial courts.” World Bank: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2019/10/24/doing-business-2020-pace-of-business-climate-reforms-slows-in-east-asia-and-pacific-region   Streamlining human rights and anti-corruption compliance (Blog).  “Companies can therefore integrate human rights issues into their compliance system by applying their existing anti-corruption mechanisms, such as risk assessments.” Mirna Adjami/Basel Institute on Governance: https://www.baselgovernance.org/blog/streamlining-human-rights-and-anti-corruption-compliance   On the Road to a Better Procurement S...

Bangladesh jails key opposition lawmaker for graft.   The country’s opposition has long complained that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ruling Awami League party — which tightened its grip on power following elections last year — is seeking to muzzle dissent. The Express Tribune: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2085004/3-bangladesh-jails-key-opposition-lawmaker-graft/   ICAR training: Mutual Legal Assistance and the use of offshore structures to conceal beneficial ownership of illicit assets.  Experts from the International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) conducted a workshop in Indonesia relating to beneficial ownership, aimed at enhancing capacity to formulate proper Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) requests in order to follow leads for crucial information held abroad. It focused on securing all critical foreign evidence, and unravelling corporate and trust entities. Basel Institute on Governance: https://www.baselgovernance.org/news...

Corruption: Is the Law Blindsiding a More Meaningful Discourse? (Resource).  “The literature and discussion on bribery and corruption, as well as on the negative impact of each and what is required to address them, particularly in the legal context, are now considerable…How can the work of each discipline contribute to the work of whole and, as such, improve our work in and understanding of anti-corruption?” Jane Ellis/Tufts University: https://sites.tufts.edu/ihs/corruption-is-the-law-blindsiding-a-more-meaningful-discourse/   Doing Business 2020–Sustaining the pace of reforms.  “In general, the 20 top performers have sound business regulation with a high degree of transparency…In addition, where burdensome and protracted regulatory processes exist, the temptation to resort to corruption to get things done may be greater.” World Bank: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2019/10/24/doing-business-2020-susta...

FIJI: AG: Rid corruption, plan long term.  Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum’s message to special administrators was simple – plan for long term and curb out corruption. https://fijisun.com.fj/2019/10/24/a-g-rid-corruption-plan-long-term/ Woman pleads not guilty to alleged bribery, preventing course of justice.  A woman has pleaded not guilty in the Magistrates Court in Suva to multiple counts of bribery and prevention the course of justice. https://fijisun.com.fj/2019/10/22/woman-pleads-not-guilty-to-alleged-bribery-preventing-course-of-justice/   PNG: PNG electoral commissioner charged with corruption.  Papua New Guinea's electoral commissioner has been arrested and charged with corruption, money laundering and conspiracy. https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/401420/png-electoral-commissioner-charged-with-corruption PNG police pursue two high-profile arrests over corruption.  Two...

Anti-Corruption Challenge (Funding opportunity).   The IMF Anti-Corruption Challenge where country authorities, relevant civil society organizations, and staff from the IMF and other International Financial Institutions (IFIs) are invited to collaborate and submit solutions to the following challenge: Enhancing Governance in Public Finance, Promoting Good Governance in Central Banks, Financial Disclosure Systems for Public Officials, Use of Data for Financial Intelligence, etc. Deadline for proposals: 6 December 2019 International Monetary Fund: https://imfilab.brightidea.com/Anticorruption   EY launches blockchain tool to help bring accountability to public finances.   Ernst & Young’s “blockchain-enabled” EY OpsChain Public Finance Manager will compare government spending programs with the results of the expenditure, even when the money has passed through different layers of government and public service agencies. Daniel Palmer/C...

Indonesia's Jokowi needs to boost fight against corruption, not hinder it (Opinion).   “It is better to address the criticism it faces, including overly lengthy investigations, to find a happy medium between probes and efficiency. This is a moment for Jakarta to reassure investors and companies, not give them reasons to pivot to Malaysia or Vietnam.” William Pesek/Nikkei Asian Review:   https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Indonesia-s-Jokowi-needs-to-boost-fight-against-corruption-not-hinder-it   New Podcast Episode, Featuring Kevin Davis (Blog/Podcast).  Professor Kevin Davis, of the New York University Law School, talks about his new book, Between Impunity and Imperialism: The Regulation of Transnational Bribery. The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2019/10/15/new-podcast-episode-featuring-kevin-davis/   The curious corruption case of China’s former securities chief Liu Shiyu and his lenient tr...

GIACC bent on erasing Malaysia’s kleptocrat label.   “Speaking to Bernama in an interview here, Anis Yusal said according to data from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, more than 60% of corruption cases involved the public services sector. And, almost 42% of this sector’s cases involved public procurement.” The Sun Daily: https://www.thesundaily.my/local/giacc-bent-on-erasing-malaysia-s-kleptocrat-label-FJ1487777   Plundering the future: Why the IMF must quantify grand corruption (Blog).  “If the IMF wishes to make a difference in the lives of people around the world, it must undertake two analyses that would change the conversation on grand corruption. First…an annual assessment of grand corruption in all countries and publish the dollar value of that analysis… Second…an opportunity cost analysis of the stolen assets.” Tom Cardamone and Maureen Heydt : https://gfintegrity.org/plundering-...