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Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, at the ICAC Silver Jubilee Conference this (Monday) morning:
Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen,
I am very pleased to be here today to welcome you all to this conference on the theme of Fighting Corruption into the 21st Century. Representing law enforcement and regulatory bodies, academic and professional institutes, and major business corporations from more than 40 jurisdictions, you have made this conference a truly international event.
In recent years, thanks to the work of various dedicated groups, the fight against corruption is rapidly gathering momentum world-wide. Gone are the days when corruption was dismissed as an inevitable cost of economic progress. Corruption is now recognised as what it is : an insidious crime and a serious impediment to the rule of law, social development and economic growth. Uncontrolled, it threatens to undermine government and social institutions and destroy the very foundations of a fair and just society. In the public service, it removes all incentives to provide an honest and efficient service. In the business sector, it deters foreign investment and distorts the distribution of wealth. We in Hong Kong know the adverse effects of corruption only too well. Indeed, corruption in certain sectors of our community in the sixties and early seventies had been quite serious. In typical Hong Kong fashion, we faced the crisis head on. We launched an all out war against corruption, by establishing a dedicated organisation to tackle the problem and giving this organisation the backing and the resources to do this job. We now have a first class anti-corruption institution which enjoys the confidence of the community and whose structure and methods of operation are the envy of many other places.
This conference marks the Silver Jubilee of our Independent Commission Against Corruption. In the last quarter of a century, the ICAC has substantially reduced corruption in Hong Kong and kept it under control. Its investigative ability has turned corruption into a high-risk crime; its education effort has ensured that our community cannot regard it as a way of life.
Hong Kong now prides itself as one of the best places in which to do business, with a clean and efficient civil service, accountable and transparent procedures and fair and open commercial practices. It is no coincidence that since our success in taming corruption we have steadily developed into the leading financial and commercial centre that we are today. A recent survey carried out by our Industry Department shows that most businesses invest in Hong Kong because we have a clean civil service and provide a level playing field. I am determined to keep it that way. The ICAC will continue to be an independent organisation free from any interference. It will remain fair and impartial in discharging its duties. Our anti-corruption laws which have worked so well in the past will continue to be a strong weapon against the corrupt in both the public and the private sectors. The community and the government remain firmly dedicated to combating corruption.
In spite of our success in the past, I know that corruption in its various forms will continue to test our resolve. What's more, with the ease of travel, the increasing liberalisation and globalisation of financial markets and rapid technological development, there is even greater need for the world community to join hands in keeping this heinous crime at bay. The blurring of international boundaries in international and serious crime calls for ever stronger ties between law enforcement agencies, the legal fraternity and multi-national corporations all over the world. The need for such an alliance is clearly demonstrated in a number of cases handled by our Police and the ICAC. As we stand on the threshold of a new millennium which inevitably brings new problems and new challenges, international co-operation will be essential in effective crime detection and prevention.
Over the next three days, presentations by over 30 speakers and many discussions you will have would give you much food for thought. You would have many opportunities to share experience and to exchange views, to renew old ties and make new ones. I have no doubt that from these interactions, new initiatives for strengthening international co-operation in the fight against corruption would emerge. I wish you all a most productive and fruitful meeting of minds.
It is now my pleasure to declare open the ICAC Silver Jubilee Conference on Fighting Corruption into the 21st Century. Thank you very much.
END/Monday, March 22, 1999
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