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Hard knocks at University of the South Pacific   Over the last few weeks the status of this venerable institution has become  imperilled  by claims and  counter-claims  of corruption and infighting at the most senior levels.   https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/hard-knocks-university-south-pacific         Pacific leadership in spotlight as pressure rises over USP impasse  Barely two months into his new role, he alleged abuse of office and serious mismanagement by his predecessor and the council’s leadership group led by pro-Chancellor Winston Thompson.   https://asiapacificreport.nz/2020/06/16/pacific-leadership-in-spotlight-as-pressure-rises-over-usp-impasse/             PNG:    How to spend K320m to support PNG agriculture, households and businesses  National Research Institute (NRI)  ...

(Thailand) Minister promises fair investigation into transfer of hospital director amid corruption allegations . “Following the transfer of the director of Khon Kaen hospital in north-east Thailand amid corruption allegations, Thailand’s Public Health Minister  Anutin   Charnvirakul  says an investigation into the matter will be “fair and just”. Dr.  Charnchai   Chanvorachaikul  was transferred to  Prapokklao  Hospital in the eastern province of  Chanthaburi , following allegations, strongly denied, of misappropriation of hospital funds. He was initially replaced in his post by the former director of  Prapokklao  Hospital, Dr. Kriangsak  Watcharanukulkiat , who has now resigned from his new role.”     Maya Taylor / The  Tahiger :  https://thethaiger.com/news/north-east/minister-promises-fair-investigation-into-transfer-of-hospital-direc...

More Indonesians Say They Detest Corruption: Census.  "This year's national census shows that Indonesians are becoming more intolerant of corruption. The anti-corruption score in this year's National Population Census was 3.84 out of 5, close to the 2020 National Medium-Term Development Plan target of 4. Last year's score was 3.70. (…) Around 9.6 percent of business owners said they offered bribes to obtain public services. Around 80 percent say they would only pay the standard fees. However, petty corruption was still rampant, especially during elections, according to the census."     Nur Yasmin / Jakarta Globe:  https://jakartaglobe.id/news/more-indonesians-say-they-detest-corruption-census       Military-Corporate conflicts of interest 'inflame' Myanmar's civil wars, rights group says.  "The military officials in charge of  defence  budge...

Protecting young startups during Covid-19 pandemic (opinion).  “Engaging young people in advocacy and educational programs that inculcate these values and ways of doing business, at an early stage, has been widely acknowledged as a primary way to bring about change in business culture. UNDP has developed a  Business Integrity Toolkit for Young Entrepreneurs , to aid them in developing and sustaining ethical businesses that can survive and thrive, by embracing strong values and principles, as espoused by the UN and the Sustainable Development Goals.”     Kanni Wignaraja     / Asia Times:  https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/protecting-young-startups-during-covid-19-pandemic/       UNDP Launches Programme To Help Young Social Entrepreneurs Overcome Challenges Of COVID-19 . " “The reality is that the Sustainable Development Goals are unlikely to be att...

Pros & Cons of Framework Agreements for Agile, Efficient, and Transparent Public Procurement: An Interactive Session with Practitioners . “ Framework Agreements (FA) are a convenient mechanism for saving public funds and quick acquisition of necessary products by central governments. If used correctly, FA ensure the best value for money ratio in a competitive manner and is an appropriate alternative to direct awards, especially during an emergency like COVID-19.  The objective of this session is to introduce FA as an innovative tool for public procurement in ASEAN. The discussion would also focus on the correct application of FA so that they are administered with virtuous and  skilful  conduct in order to profit the entire society including businesses wishing to compete for attractively large contracts in mid-term, 2-4 years period. Join this session  23 June, 2020, 11 AM- 12:30 PM  (ICT).     UNDP...

The business case for young people creating a culture of business integrity in Asia-Pacific.  “It is essential for young entrepreneurs to address corruption risks in the early stages of their startups. That’s why young people are increasingly motivated to operate their business with integrity through social entrepreneurship. By adopting integrity standards, they can reduce the risk of corruption and minimize its harmful impacts. Business integrity is indispensable to young entrepreneurs — without it, their businesses  fail  and societies suffer. In fact, in the long term, ethical businesses outperform their industry competitors.”     Stan van der  Leemputte / UNDP:  https://www.youthcolab.org/post/the-business-case-for-business-integrity-for-youngpeople-in-asia-pacifc       MACC arrests three company directors for alleged bribery over RM90mil govt contract.  The M...

Albert Schram: University governance, academic freedom and institutional autonomy in the Pacific   During the last weeks, after reports emerged about gross mismanagement and breaches of the rules of the university at USP under the former administration, this week the Executive Committee of the University Council decided to suspend the current vice-chancellor for alleged “misconduct and breach of rules and procedures”, despite all the evidence pointed in the opposite direction of the former administration and some council members.     https://asiapacificreport.nz/2020/06/10/albert-schram-university-governance-academic-freedom-and-institutional-autonomy-in-the-pacific/         USP Vice Chancellor’s Office to  look into  allegations levelled against the USP Students Association   There is confirmation that the University of the South Pacific’s Acting Vice Chancellor Professor D...