THE MINISTRY of Finance and Planning has rejected a request from the Corruption Prevention Commission that more staff be provided to address
concerns about the investigative capabilities of the agency.
"Under the memorandum of understanding (between the government and public sector workers) there is a general policy of employment constraint," explained Cordell Braham, communications director at the Finance Ministry.
"The request from the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption is, therefore, not being supported at this time," he told The Gleaner.
Mr. Braham noted that the ministry was in the process of formally advising the commission of its decision.
CONDUCT INVESTIGATIONS
In its annual report for the period
ending March 2004, the commission suggested it had encountered difficulties in carrying out part of its mandate, which is to receive and investigate any complaint regarding an act of corruption and to conduct investigations into acts of corruption on its own initiative.
"The commission's ability to conduct investigations of declarations as at January 31, 2003 was hampered, due
to staff constraints, and this has necessitated a request to the Ministry of Finance for posts for investigators," the commission said in the report tabled in Parliament earlier this month.
Last week, it was reported that Jamaica scored a paltry 3.3 out of 10 in Transparency International's global survey of corruption perception and that the country has steadily fallen in rating over the last two years.
Currently, the commission chaired by retired Justice, Chester Orr, consists of five members with a staff complement of 10. Included in its staff are the secretary manager, two secretaries, two financial analysts, one finance and administration manager, one records officer, one data entry officer, one office attendant and one driver.
The commission had, however, also noted in the report that it had received six allegations of corruption and was able to close four cases as the allegations could not be substantiated. The remaining two cases were still being pursued.
