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Last Updated: Sep 19, 2018 - 12:17:18 PM |
 NASSAU, New Providence – As The House of Assembly prepares to reopen session today, The Organization for Responsible Governance (ORG), a not-for-profit aimed at good governance, education reform, and economic development, is probing the status of the Integrity Commission and Ombudsman Bills, tabled in parliament nearly a year ago.
“It has been an eventful summer; headlines such as the BPL Board dismissals and the accusations in recent high profile corruption cases reinforce the need to put best practice anti-corruption measures in place such as the Integrity Commission and Ombudsman,” said Matt Aubry, Executive Director of ORG. “Independent mechanisms to investigate and handle allegations of corruption, maladministration and conflict of interest, such as these bills, could make a marked difference in the fight against corruption. They create a clear pathway of how citizens can report and pursue concerns of corruption ”.
The Integrity Commission and Ombudsman Bills were tabled in October 2017 as an answer to the Prime Minister’s campaign promise to focus on transparency, accountability and anti-corruption.
The Ombudsman Bill will establish a body to proactively address misgovernment and advocate for the people in the event of government maladministration. “If you have ever experienced an unnecessarily frustrating process, poorly managed service, or issues of inappropriate conduct of public officers, this bill would provide a complaint body to arbitrate on behalf of the people,” said Aubry.
The Integrity Commission Bill will dissolve the current Public Disclosure Committee and establish a comprehensive and independent anti-corruption body to reform anti-corruption policy, investigate issues of corruption, administer public disclosure, and educate the public. According to Aubry, “This bill could be the first step to change a culture of corruption decades in the making. Ultimately these bills are about power to the people, giving the Bahamian people avenues to hold those in power to account. That is heart of accountable governance.”
The Organization pressed for updates on the bills, which were circulated for consultation in January 2018 but have since shown no public signs of progress.
“There seems to be little public discussion on this bill in recent months. In the past, MPs have expressed concerns about the thoroughness of the code of conduct within the Integrity Commission Bill, at times calling it “intrusive.” If there are concerns about the bill then we recommend creating a public forum for consultation to amend the draft. We urge Cabinet not to wait any longer on these landmark bills and to make them a priority in the legislation agenda. Along with Fiscal Responsibility and Freedom of Information, these bills are ORG’s primary focus and we will continue to press for progress on behalf of all living in The Bahamas.”
Despite apprehensions about the prolonged silence on the Integrity Commission and Ombudsman Bills, ORG commended the promised upcoming slate of legislation.
“We are of course pleased at the priority that the DPM and PM have given the Fiscal Responsibility Bill and look forward to it being amongst the first debated, as promised. The companion Public Financial Management Bill, Public Debt Management Bill, and the Public Procurement Bill, which the DPM stated were currently being drafted, are also efforts to be commended and we look forward to them being circulated broadly for public consultation in the near future.”
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