20.500.12592/xn26db
MEDIA STATEMENT Government needs to expedite Political Financing Reforms
3 February 2023
Summary
We call for the government and political parties to work seriously towards institutional reforms for greater independence of the MACC and more transparent financing of political parties. [...] Further, the group recommends public funding as a means to curb political corruption, where the government provides funds to political parties based on a set formula, hence eventually reducing over-dependence on private sector funds and the conflict of interest potentially arising from this. [...] Improving MACC’s independence would boost public confidence in the MACC and reduce the perception of the institution being used for political purposes. [...] We would also like to remind the government that the National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP) that was launched in 2019 targeted to introduce a political financing legislation by the end of 2020 and have a separate Parliamentary Select Committee for the MACC by the end of 2023. [...] As the NACP will expire at the end of this year, it is now more crucial than ever for the government to show political willingness to enact change.
