UNODC Country Office in Myanmar received 800.000 USD from Siemens Integrity Initiative
Yangon (Myanmar), 3 February 2020 - Siemens AG, through its Siemens Integrity Initiative (SII), granted 800.000USD to the United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Office in Myanmar to support its action against corruption in Myanmar's private sector over three years. This donation and cooperation will surely help Myanmar's private sector developing new integrity tools, improving its anti-corruption framework and strengthening incentives for corporate integrity and cooperation.
Launched in December 2009, the SII supports organizations and projects fighting corruption and fraud through Collective Action, education, and training as well as projects working to improve the business environment, show objective and measurable results, and that can potentially be scaled up and replicated. The UNODC's initiative 'Strengthening the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Efforts of the Private Sector in Myanmar' mobilizes both Collective Action and Education & Training pathways and concerns all industrial and commercial sectors, fully share with Siemens Integrity Initiative a common interest: reduce opportunities for corruption and create a culture of integrity by enhancing public-private dialogue and improving anti-corruption legal frameworks.
There has been an influx of foreign direct investment in the last years in Myanmar, following the lifting of sanctions and the opening of the country. For this inflow to remain stable, or even increase, the engagement of the private sector in improving business ethics and corporate integrity is key. Economic development in the country has been hampered by high levels of corruption, which negatively affects private enterprises. Myanmar holds the 165th position out of 190 countries in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index. This rank improved by six positions, and indeed the country made strides forward in several areas and is among the top 20 reformers for the year, according to the World Bank. Nevertheless, as U Aung Soe, secretary of Myanmar's Committee for Ease of Doing Business indicated "our doing business ratings will improve if we continue to keep up our efforts. It will support economic growth and we will continue to look forward to it".
Tackling strong barriers to investment and trade such as weak rule of law will be essential to this effort. The project 'Strengthening the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Efforts of the Private Sector in Myanmar' aims to respond at this issue, by strengthening the capacities of private and public authorities, improving the legal framework related to business and establishing a domestic and international collaborative relationship between stakeholders. As UNODC Country manager Troels Vester highlighted during the " Building Business Integrity workshop" organized in preparation of the UNCAC second cycle review, "UNODC engages with the private sector in a constructive dialogue and promote the multi stakeholders approach needed to make progress against corruption; the creation of incentive systems for the private sector to work with law enforcement agencies and with the Anti-Corruption Commission is also one of our proprieties".
